Miscreants: Origin Story
by slytherensangel26
Summary: Next installment for Raising The Pterodactyl. The teens are heading back to AGH for their junior year. What will the teens face next? Be ready for romance, drama, and heroics! Rated M for everything.
1. Prologue- The Dream

**So, I'm back with the next installment for the Raising The Pterodactyl series. However, this story is going to be a little different than what you are expecting. While it will have some Conner and Kira stuff in it, this fic will center around the teens.**

 **I've been wanting to challenge myself and doing a teenage adventure with some sweet romance thrown in and it takes place during the crew's junior year at Angel Grove High School. During the last installment, I went about creating the atmosphere in which the teens would face situations that would force them to think on their feet along with all those wonderful challenges that come with a brand new school year!**

 **So, get ready for some teen romance, a few new faces and some heroic moments thrown in.**

 **I promise that I will do my best to keep things lighter than I did last time the teens were in school and while some parts will hit you in the feels, I promise that it will all end happy and with good resolutions.**

 **So, if you are ready, then proceed and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Pebble Brook Manor**

 **2** **nd** **Floor**

 **Midnight**

 _She walked down the stone path of the outer walls of the castle. Overhead the full moon shone down on her, lighting her way. All was quiet and a cool evening breeze moved over her, gently ruffling her flowing purple skirts._

 _Autumn looked down at her feet, noticing the fine quality of her clothing…then she stopped._

 _She was dreaming._

 _She looked all around and saw a figure soaring overhead. It circled once, and then landed gracefully on the outer wall in front of her. The figure was obviously female as she wore a thick leather dress over a simple linin shift that came down to midthigh. The black leather dress was also slit to allow for easy movement. The metal belt across her stomach held a medicine pouch and a short dagger._

 _The creature also had powerful dragon wings that immediately folded against her back as she stood up to full height. She had a powerful tail…_

" _You're a dragon!" Autumn blurted out as she finally saw the reptilian face. The eyes were an expressive green which were almond shaped and she had a short snout. The scales themselves were golden and shone in the moonlight._

" _Yes, I am, but I'm also you, Autumn."_

" _Like a spirit animal?"_

" _That's a human invention." The creature replied as she swished her tail slowly. "I'm a manifestation of how you see yourself. A ferocious warrior."_

" _Why are you just now showing yourself to me?"_

" _Because I'm needed. Your mate is vulnerable, and you are heading into a battlefield. Even now, he thrashes in his sleep for fear of what's coming."_

" _Then I need to wake up and help him."_

The dragon spirit nodded at her.

" _Yes, you do. But know that I'm always here inside you, ready to come forward when you need me."_

" _I'll remember. Um, how do I wake up?"_

 _The warrior gave her a smile and then lightly touched Autumn's forehead._

* * *

Instantly, she was awake. She sat up and saw that Kyle was hyperventilating and his forehead was slick with sweat. Going into action, she threw their covers off and straddled him, sitting on his legs and holding down his wrists.

"Kyle, wake up!" She said in a forceful voice. Immediately, her mate gasped, opening his eyes.

"Where am I?" he asked with wide eyes.

"You're with me in our bed at the manor. You were having a nightmare."

Immediately, feeling the full weight of his mate on top of him, his head fell back to the pillow and he relaxed.

"Good…I'm not back in the freaking locker room."

"No, you're not. You're with me and I'm going to get a cold cloth to cool you off. I'll be right back."

As she got off him, he closed his eyes and fought to regulate his breathing. It took a few minutes but by the time Autumn got back with the cold cloth, he felt a little calmer.

She straddled him again and began to sponge his face and he welcomed her touch. She only needed to make one extra trip to wet the cloth again and this time she sponged his chest and he allowed her whatever touches she needed. There was nothing sexual about this moment, it was simply Autumn taking care of her mate.

Finally, he was completely calm, and he leaned up kissing her.

She let the kiss happen and then smiled down at him. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, but you better get off me now, you feel really good sitting on me like this."

Autumn leaned down and kissed him once more before getting off him and returning the cloth to the bathroom.

When she got back, Kyle sitting up in bed. He watched her as she walked towards the bed and crawled back on it, sitting across from him. "Is there anything else you need right now?"

"Just you. I need you."

It was a reasonable request coming from him, so she snuggled against him and he rested his hand on her bare back under her pajama top. It was considered a safe space for him to touch her and for some reason, it grounded him.

She kissed his cheek and then rested her head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

Things were once again calm and they sat like that for a few minutes before Autumn spoke to him

"Amore, are you okay now? I know the thought of going back to school scares you."

"Not scared, nervous."

She could tell that he was playing off his true feelings and she called him on it.

"I'm the one person you can't lie to…I can feel your emotions right now. You're scared."

Kyle sighed. "Yeah, I am. I hate that I can't even use the bathroom without freaking out. I feel like a huge wuss."

"But you're not." She lovingly reminded him. "What happened to you was ugly and horrible, but it's over. This is just one tiny battle you'll have to fight without me, but when it comes to everything else, I'll be there with you."

Kyle held her close and inhaled her scent. "Thank you, Corazon."

"You're welcome Mi Amore. Now, do you think we can go back to sleep? It's still really early and we have back to school shopping tomorrow. You're going to need all that strength to carry all those bags."

Kyle nodded with a grin and kissed her again. "Yeah, let's go back to sleep."

And they slept soundly the rest of the night.

* * *

 **So, how's that for a start? Let me know what you think!**


	2. And So, The Tale Begins

**Decided to give this chapter to you right away. I'm going at my own pace for this and I hope you guys will understand.**

 **Any of the OC's in this fic are my own creation...yes, even the bad guys. Anyway, consider this fic an origin story of our crew of heroes. I meant to say this in the prologue, but I'd like to dedicate this fic to all the unsung heroes who perform ordinary acts of bravery, even without recognition.**

 **This fic goes out to you!**

 **I guess that's all to be said for this chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Angel Grove Mall**

One week before school…

They were once again at the mecca of all Angel Grove mall rats. With one week left to go before school started, they kids were here, purchasing whatever was left on their lists, before they were back in the classroom. After they were done, it was on to the local Walmart to get their supplies.

For now, the teens had split up and gone their separate ways for the next hour so that the girls could get their unmentionables without the guys drooling over them. Trent had taken off as soon as they arrived, heading for the internet café so he could take care of adult business. In the next few days, he'd be moving in to the new townhouse he'd just leased and there were a few last-minute things to be bought and set up for delivery.

The kids were meshing well together, so he didn't worry too much about them running into trouble. So, with a relaxed mentality, he pulled the high tech laptop from his messenger bag, sat down at the booth and logged onto the web.

* * *

"So, what are we shopping for first?" Sapphire asked as she and Autumn walked down the promenade. "What kind of look are you going for?"

Autumn looked at her best friend. "I want a change, something with leather and dragons. I want to be more badass."

Sapphire narrowed her eyes, though she didn't look at her friend. "You _do_ realize that you're already badass without the biker threads, right?"

Autumn nodded. "Yeah, how could I not be considering who my parents are? I guess that I just feel the need to change things up."

The gothic teenager nodded and added. "Leif told me that Kyle said the same thing during their guy's day out."

This time Autumn did stop and look at her companion. "It makes sense to me since my mate and I are fused together. I hope you're not going to try and talk me out of this."

Sapphire quickly shook her head. "No, not at all. If it's badass you want, I know just the shop to start out with. Unless you want to head up the Victoria's secret first."

Autumn shook her head. "No, we can skip that shop for now. Besides, I might find another lingerie shop I like better."

"Alright then, let's head for _Nyxian Wings."_

Never in her wildest dreams, did Autumn ever think she'd go to a place like this. Yet here she was, being led by her goth friend to the dark side of the mall. While the other shops were bright and cheery, this place was softly lit with sconces along the wall and a giant dragon sculpture stood guard in the middle of the shop. It's eyes lit up green and one of the giant claws rested on a sign with the store logo on its polished surface.

Instantly, Autumn was drawn to it and she took a moment to admire it before Sapphire nudged her. "So, let's get started, right?"

Autumn smiled at her friend and allowed herself to be led to the first rack of clothing.

It wasn't long before Autumn was set up in a dressing room. Several pieces of clothing were hung up on the hook and she set about trying them on. She already had all the camis she needed at home, so she only shopped for cute tops and pants.

The first top she tried on was a black shirt with a dragon design and lacy caps sleeves. There was also light purple lacy stuff on the side. She'd fallen in love with it the moment she'd seen it. The next shirt she'd tried on was a black cardigan. The fabric felt amazing against her skin and on the back, a stylized skull was cut out in a very pretty and stylish design. She'd be wearing a tank top underneath, but it would be a nice addition to her wardrobe.

"So, are you getting makeup to go with this new look?" Sapphire asked her as she stood next to the door.

Autumn paused as he looked at her reflection. "I never really thought about makeup. I probably could, but I don't want to overdo it. I never really wore makeup except at the wedding and my birthday. What do you suggest?"

"We can go light with the colors and eyeliner. If you want, I can even come over before school to help you apply it. We could also do your hair too!"

Autumn looked at herself in the mirror closely.

"Well, if I'm going to go more edgy, why stop at half way?"

"That's the spirit! This is going to be fun!"

By the time they were finished, she'd also found a pair of mid-thigh boots to go with her new wardrobe. She couldn't wait to show her mom!

* * *

Trent clicked on the final link and sat back in his chair. Everything would be delivered in time for the move-in and he'd finally have his first ever bachelor's pad.

He took a sip of his drink and got the sudden feeling that he was being watched. He slowly turned in his chair and saw a very beautiful woman sitting at a table behind him with a young kid wearing oversized headphones.

He turned back to his drink and took another sip.

"Are you Trent Fernandez?"

Trent turned back around in his chair to see the pretty lady again. "Yes." He drew out. "How do you know me?"

"I'm Gabriella Anderson. You're Katsume's guardian, right? I have your picture in his casefile."

Trent nodded. "You're from the school, right? We have a meeting tomorrow, I think."

"Yep, we do. I just didn't expect to see you here" she paused and looked at the boy. "This is my son Quin,"

Gabriella was heartbreakingly beautiful. She had dark black hair that was pulled back into a simple pony tail. She had startling blue eyes and shapely eyebrows. She smiled at him in greeting and she had on a v-neck shirt with the name of a gym on the front of it.

Trent glanced at the little boy who was looking him over. He looked at his mother and signed at her. She replied to him and then looked at Trent again. "He's asking about your shirt."

Trent looked down at his shirt and remembered that it was from Rocky's studio. He smiled at the boy and then at his mother. "I'm sorry, I don't know sign language."

"Oh sorry, Quin is nonverbal and has autism. He can hear you but can't respond audibly." She paused and motioned for the boy to remove his headphones. When he did, she spoke to him.

"Sweetie, this is Trent, he's the guardian of someone who is starting school next week.

She signed at him and then pointed at his shirt.

"Oh, this is a t-shirt from my teacher's karate studio. I'm going to be helping with his classes soon."

He got a big grin on his face and clapped his hands and then pointed at Trent's shirt again.

Trent grinned at his enthusiasm and then looked at the mother.

"We've been looking for a dojo that teaches karate and self-defense. I know there are a lot out there, but none of them are willing to take things slow with him. He would need one on one classes because he's a little slow to pick up moves and Katas. He tries hard but has yet to earn his yellow belt."

Trent nodded. "Why don't you bring him by the studio. I was trained by awesome teachers, I bet they'd be willing to work with him." He paused and handed over a card. "Rocky De Santos runs the place."

"Thank you so much." She said as she put the card in her wallet. "Hey, how is Katsume?"

He's with his friends, they're doing their Back-to-School shopping as a group."

"So quickly? That's amazing!"

"They're a great group of kids, he's fitting right in with them."

* * *

The guys were walking around the sporting goods store. They'd already completed their clothes shopping as far as school was concerned. But now, they were in the MMA department looking at the gloves.

Kyle examined the gloves he'd picked up and handed a pair to Katsume. "Here, try these on. These are the same brand I use."

The Asian teenager tried them on and flexed his hand. "Perfect fit." He paused and grinned as they put them in the cart. "I can't wait to start training with you guys!"

After seeing Ethan spar against his former teammates, Katsume had been fascinated and asked if he could train like that. Rocky had agreed and the next morning, Trent and Katusme had joined Kyle and Autumn in their workout. When Trent showed up, he had started working with his charge to prepare him for the intense training he would be put through.

"Dad is going to work you hard, but it will help with endurance. And when your muscles are conditioned like ours, the real sparing will begin. And we'll really teach you how to fight."

"I can't wait."

Moving on from the MMA section, they walked towards the more extreme sporting section.

* * *

Autumn and Sapphire walked out of the department store with a bag each. The next store they went to was called, Abigail's Closet.

It was as if Victoria's Secret had gone to the dark side. On the walls, instead of photos of scantily clad women with white wings, there were pictures of beautiful curvy women reclining on couches in risqué underthings. Some photos where two-toned and some were black and white, but they were all very breathtaking and had an old-world charm to them.

The lingerie store wasn't as big as the other department stores, but the space was used in such a way that there were no narrow aisles to worry about and the store catered to every size.

"Welcome to my closet!" Said a pretty lady as she walked up to them. "My name is Abigail and I'm the owner and operator of this shop." The woman stopped as she saw Sapphire there with a fist over her heart.

"Merry meet, Sapphire. It's nice to see you again!"

"Merry meet, My Lady. This is my friend, Autumn Park. She's joined me on the dark side."

The woman gave Autumn a scrutinizing look. "Merry Meet Miss Park. I heard about you from my friends over at the Gilded rose. Welcome to the dark side."

Abigail looked to be about her parent's age. She had dark curly hair that that cascaded down her back and she wore a feminine business suit, high heels and she had a tape measure draped around her neck. She had bright green eyes and a friendly smile.

"Merry Meet, my lady." she said with a little bow.

The woman gave her a welcoming grin. "I'm flattered, Miss Park, but you don't need to bow to me. Only those from my coven greet me like that. In fact, you are a VIP today. Come in and I'll assist you in picking out your underthings."

With the help of the proprietress, the perfect set of lacy yet modest things were purchased and wrapped in tissue paper. Autumn couldn't keep the grin from her face as they walked out of the shop. Sure, it was going to be a while before her boyfriend saw any of them, but she felt like a new creature and more like herself.

On the way to meet the boys, Autumn asked the question that had been on her mind while they shopped at the lingerie shop.

"Why did you address her like that? Is she royalty?"

Sapphire nodded. "She's royalty to us Goths. She was the one to start our coven way back in the 90's. Right after your aunt's attack, they realized that something needed to be done because no one else was going to do anything. Not even with Ms. Appleby speaking up.

One of the side effects of being goth is that the popular kids ignore us, and we realized that they could overhear conversations and maybe even intervene when possible. They became awesome spies and even Mr. Caplan found them useful in keeping the peace at the school."

"Anyway, Lady Abigail was the one to organize and set up the court. All the queens that came after her use a similar system to keep the violence to a minimum. Lady Lilith was pretty upset that we couldn't prevent the attack on Kyle. The only solace was that they caught the Nazi."

"That explains a lot." Autumn answered. "We kept getting a feeling that someone was watching us."

Sapphire stopped. "Yeah, that was part of it, but that's not the whole reason that you guys were watched. We were only in the coven a year when we were told you guys were to be shadowed."

Autumn cocked her head to the side. "For what reason? The trouble didn't even start till last Christmas.

Sapphire shook her head. "I had no idea, since I was a new member. All the queen told us was that you were VIPs and to keep our ears to the ground for trouble. We never did find out the exact reason. I was just happy to be in the coven with my boyfriend."

Autumn grinned at her. "I see."

Just then, as they started walking, they heard pleading.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to run into you!" Autumn looked up ahead to see a few well-dressed girls surrounding someone on the ground.

"Instantly, Autumn hurried towards them and intervened. "What's going on here?"

The ringleader shoved Autumn hard and she landed on the ground, but her training kicked in and she was on her feet instantly. She rushed back in and shoved the same girl away. She took a moment to find out who the victim was and she saw it was a small teenager on the ground with crutches. She turned back to the perfectly dressed blonde.

"So, this is how you get your kicks these days? By going after handicapped people?"

"Mind your business, Whore. This little freak needs to learn her place!"

Autumn wasn't having it. "No! You need to learn to treat people with respect. I've had enough of you bullies throwing your weight around. Leave her alone and there won't be any trouble."

The bully looked down her nose at Autumn, but the warrior stood her ground. "Beat it, Barbie!"

The bully looked at her closely. "Huh, A nosey little upstart with a high opinion of yourself. You must be Autumn Park, Nick's old slut. I had a feeling you would show up where you don't belong."

"And you must be his new whore. Either way, I couldn't care less who you are. I just know that you need to leave the girl alone. Now I'm sure you have lots of cash to blow, so be on your way."

"You're going to learn your place; and I'm going to teach it to you."

Autumn could feel the dragon within stirring and she got into the girl's face. "Then what are you waiting for? Bring it!"

The blonde sneered at her. "Believe me, when you least expect it, you'll be in the hospital just like your pathetic boyfriend."

"Give it your best shot." Autumn snarled.

With a roll of her eyes, the bully walked away with her sheep following her. The moment they were gone, she turned back to the girl who was being helped up by Sapphire. Autumn knelt to pick up the crutches and held them still so that the girl could put her hands through the braces.

"Hey, are you okay? Do you need any first aid?"

"No, you guys got to me just in time. Thanks for the assist."

The girl had blonde hair styled in a pixie cut and tented with blue strands. She wore a white peasant blouse with blue jean capris. Around her neck was a strange poly sided dice on a metal chain.

"No problem. I'm-"

"Autumn Park. Yeah, I know. You're the Xena: Warrior Princess of Angel Grove High!"

Autumn cracked a grin. "Not quite, I'm more like Mulan, but thank you for the compliment."

The girl smiled. "You're welcome. My name is Elisa by the way."

"Are you a junior this year too?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I am and so is Jezebel. That's the bully you just scared off. She's all over MySpace and she's proclaiming herself to be the new queen bee. Nina is ancient history and she's with Nick now."

Autumn grimaced at the mention of the former bully. She hadn't heard from her in a while, but she pushed the thought aside and smiled again. "Hey, I'm so not worried about that girl. I have a crew of my own backing me up and I'm formidable. If she somehow gets the drop on me, then I don't deserve to be a ninja."

Elisa grinned at her. "You're really a ninja?"

"You bet. I'm a ninja and so is my father. That's why I'm not going to lose any sleep over that tramp. I can take her easily." She paused and looked Elisa over. But enough about me, are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good now. My big brother should be here any second to pick me up."

"Well okay then. I'll see you at school!"

* * *

When the girl had hobbled away, Autumn looked up to see her boyfriend and the other guys watching them.

Kyle walked up to her, giving her a concerned look. "Corazon, I felt all that; are you okay?"

Autumn nodded. "Yeah, I just had a run in with the new Queen bee, Jezebel and I'm pretty sure I just made her my enemy. She'll be gunning for me now."

Kyle looked her over again smirked at her. "I'm not worried. You're more than a match for her. Anyway, we're all good as far as clothes shopping goes. Are you ladies ready?"

Autumn looked down at her bags and then up at her mate. She opened her mouth to speak but then saw the mannequin behind his head. It had on a nice looking leather jacket. "Just about. I have got to take a look at that jacket!"

Kyle looked at it and grinned. "Lead the way."

That was where Trent found them. They were all looking through the racks and Autumn was trying on a jacket that seemed to fit her perfectly. It was a second hand biker shop, but these leather jackets looked pretty cool.

"So, are you T-birds now?"

Kyle lookedup at him. "What does that mean? Are you talking about the car?"

Trent sighed and shook his head. "Man, am I getting old."

Katsume grinned at them. "I get the reference. Don't worry guys I'll explain it to you,"

Trent sighed heavily. "Let me rephrase that question. I'm guessing you're all getting leather jackets?"

Kyle hook his head. "Nah, I already have one, I'm good."

Leif and Sapphire shook their heads. "Nah, we're goths, we don't generally wear biker jackets."

Katsume however was trying on a jacket of his own. Trent walked over to him. "Did you want to get one too?"

The Asian teen nodded. "Yeah, this one fits really good!"

"Then it's yours, come on, let's go pay."

When Autumn opened her wallet to get her card out, Trent stopped her. "Hey, I've got this, besides. I do owe you a birthday present!"

Autumn grinned at him and nodded.

When they walked back out of the shop, he turned to the crew. "Are we all happy with our purchases?"

When they gave him answers, he pulled out the car keys. "Ok then. Let's go get your school supplies.

* * *

 **Well, I think they're off to a great start! What did you guys think? Let me know in your reviews!**


	3. The Meeting

**Hi everyone!**

 **So, I know this is off to a slow start, but bare with me. I do have a reason for things being so slow.**

 **I promise that the real action will start in a couple chapters. I just need to establish the newer characters to avoid any annoying 'Mary Jane' scenarios.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. There are no real warnings just yet, but there will be a few more serious moments here and there.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and will leave me some love at the bottom.**

* * *

 **The Manor**

 **2nd floor**

Katsume stood in front of the mirror in his room inspecting his reflection. In the weeks since he came here, he'd begun to look healthier and the dark circles under his eyes were almost gone. He looked down at his wrists and saw that even the scars on his wrists were fading. The raised skin was still visible, but the scars weren't an angry red anymore; now they were a light pink against his olive skin.

He looked in the mirror and his eyes zeroed in on the tattooed outline of the angel wings that curled around his right shoulder. It was the one thing he regretted about leaving the shelter; he'd had to leave without the tattoo being finished.

No one knew about his time with the amateur tattoo artist at the shelter. What he'd done was against the rules, but when Francine had mentioned that she was looking for a human canvas, he couldn't resist. The lines of the tattoo were clean, and no one could mistake what the design was supposed to be, but they were only an outline; nothing had been shaded in. Sadly, about a week before he'd left, she'd been busted, and her equipment had been confiscated.

 _Maybe one day, I'll have the money to get it finished._

"It's not a bad design, who did that for you?" Trent asked as he stopped in the doorway.

Katsume spun around to see his guardian looking at him with his head cocked to the side. The young teen had no idea what to say.

"You're not in trouble, you don't have to hide anything from me."

"A friend from the shelter, I know I'm not supposed to have any ink until I'm 18…" He trailed off as Trent nodded.

"Wait, you're not going to lecture me about this?"

Trent huffed as he asked for permission to walk in the door. When Katsume nodded 'yes', Trent walked up to him and motioned for him to lift his arm, so he could inspect the work.

"No, I'm not that type of guardian. The only thing I'm concerned about is whether or not the artist who did this used contaminated needles. Did they at least sterilize the needles and clean the tattoo gun?"

"Yeah, she used rubbing alcohol and she used a lighter to sterilize the needle. The doctor at the hospital ran blood work on me."

Trent nodded and then knelt, getting a closer look at his rib cage where a few more feathers were visible.

"I can't believe you're not mad about these."

A smile ghosted across Trent's face as he stood back up. "I've got no room to judge, really. I've done a few things in my time that I'm not proud of. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to be your guardian and if you mess up bad enough, I'll discipline you accordingly. But this happened before you were under my care."

He paused and gave Katsume a calculating look. "I'll make a deal with you. Keep your grades up, stay out of trouble and when you're 18, I'll take you to a professional and we'll get the design finished."

"Really?" The teen asked in surprise.

Trent nodded and cracked a smile. "No one wants to go through life with a half-finished tattoo. Now, when you're done getting dressed, come downstairs. The meeting with Ms Anderson is in an hour and a half. If you want to get some breakfast, then we should leave soon."

Katsume couldn't keep the grin off his face as he walked over to the bed and picked up his shirt. Trent chuckled and walked out of the room.

 _Maybe he really could do this whole parenting thing._

* * *

 **Angel Grove** **High School**

 **Ms. Anderson's office**

"Come in, Mr. Fernandez."

Trent walked into the office with Katsume following behind him and sat down behind the desk. The walls of the room were painted just like one would expect in a school, but the pictures on the wall were not what one would expect. They were of her in her GI and in one snapshot in particular, she was standing a little bruised and cut up with a referee holding her gloved hand up in victory.

There were a number of trophies decorating her office, but a minute later, his eyes were drawn to a shadow box in the corner. In it was a polaroid of two little girls. One of them was obviously a younger 10-year-old version of the woman watching him and the second was a young girl with brown hair and glasses. Alongside it was an old worn friendship bracelet along with a catholic rosary necklace.

"That's my childhood friend, Mae. We were thick as thieves when she was alive."

Trent looked at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. This is…not what I expected."

Gabriella nodded. "Well, we don't all sit at home crocheting tea cozies and watching Martha Stewart."

Trent cracked a smile. "Duly noted." A moment later, he sat down in front of the desk with an amused Katsume next to him.

"Now, that we don't have the distractions from the mall, we can get down to business." Miss Anderson started off. Today she was wearing a blue button-down blouse with a pair of flared out jeans. A pair of black studs adorned her ears and a matching choker was around her neck. Her blonde hair was braided in the French style and she wore just enough makeup to bring out her features.

"My name is Gabriela Anderson and I moved here from stone canyon with my son last year after the school board started rooting out the bad seeds. You'll find when the school starts next week, that many of the staff has been replaced. We're all hoping for a fresh start without much more than first day jitters."

"As you've seen from my pictures, along with a degree in child psychology, I'm also a semi professional MMA fighter with two championships under my belt. I had to fight hard to achieve all this while raising a son. I know it's got nothing to do with being a school counselor, but I hope that it will encourage students to come to me if they're experiencing trouble and need someone to talk to."

Trent was blown away; not only was she beautiful, but she could kick ass too. He mentally shook himself and responded.

"I'm Trent Fernandez and I recently moved here from Reefside and I'm the recently appointed guardian to Kastume along with being his benefactor. I've been doing Martial Arts since I was 8 and was adopted by my father, Anton Mercer."

Gabrielle nodded and then looked at Katsume. "Your turn. What are your hobbies?"

The young man nodded. I used to live at the Los Angel's children's shelter and in my spare time, I volunteered at the Animal Shelter helping dogs and cats to get adopted. After Trent and his friends rescued me from my old probation officer, I came home with them to Angel Grove and have a room of my own in their manor."

"Wait, you live at Pebble Brook Manor?" Asked Gabriella. "Isn't that…"

Trent nodded. "I don't like to talk about it, but yes. That's where it happened…at least part of it. Two of the sweetest pit bulls I've ever met are buried there. I know I'm sugar coating things, but it's all too awful to speak of, and I want to keep things positive for right now."

Gabriella nodded. "Very well." She looked back at Katsume. "Now, you didn't tell me what you do for your hobbies. We have a few extra curricular classes you might interested in as well as some school clubs you could join. If you should want to go to college after you graduate, being involved in school clubs would look great on your college applications."

Saying this, she pulled out a paper and presented it to them both.

Katusme gave it a quiet look and then looked at Trent. The young adult shrugged. "It's all up to you. I don't really need to work except for helping out at the dojo. I have no problem picking you up after school if that's what you're worried about."

Katsume nodded and then looked up at the councilor. "I draw, and I like art. At the shelter, I never considered to anything beyond that."

"That's a very good place to start." Gabrielle said approvingly. "We do have an art club here and that could expand to other clubs. Feel free to get involved in whatever club interests you; just make sure that your grades come first and don't get involved in so many that you collapse from exhaustion. It has happened before, and I don't want to see it happen again."

She paused and looked at his file again. "Now, I've seen the transcripts from your last school and I noticed you didn't do well in Math or Home Economics. Is there any particular reason why?"

Katsume shrugged. "I lived at the shelter, we didn't have anywhere to practice cooking since everything was given to us. The math teacher scared me and was constantly picking on me. I knew the answers, but if I didn't do it the way she wanted, then I got zeroes and low test scores. After a while, I just gave up."

Gabriella gave him a compassionate look. "Well, let's hope that doesn't happen here. I like seeing kids succeeding, so if you have those kinds of problems, come see me and I'll do what I can to help you out. I'm sure Trent will say the same thing to you when you leave, but know that my door is open to you."

The counselor paused and pulled out a manilla folder.

"Now, this is usually done at the start of the school year, but I can just hand your locker number now and the combination along with the basic red planner. I'm also assuming that you've gotten your school supplies already?"

Katsume nodded.

"Very good, now all we need to do is go by the secretary office and get your school ID and then you should be ready when school starts next week."

* * *

After they were done, and Katsume had his brand new school ID, they left the school and got back into the car.

"So, how do you think the meeting went?" Trent asked his ward. "That was a lot to take in."

"I'm good. It shouldn't be any different than my last school."

"I know home economics is a challenging class. If it's cooking that you're struggling with, ask Rocky or Kyle. They are masters when it comes to food."

"Did you struggle with cooking?"

Trent nodded. "Yeah, I did at first. At home, we had staff to cook our food. But, that all changed when I started working at Haley's Cyber Café. I became really good at making smoothies. Once in a while I worked the fryer and grill, but it was my crash course in the kitchen. I'll probably never become an expert in making crème brulee or Baked Alaska, but I can at least make fried food and milkshakes."

Katsume grinned. "Then we both suck in the kitchen. I feel better now."

Trent laughed at him. "Yeah, we do."

They both sat in comfortable silence as Trent pulled out of the parking lot and turned on the main road.

"So, where are we going now?" Katsume asked.

"Well, first, I'm taking you back to the manor, I know you guys have plans to spend the last week of vacation together so I'm not gonna delay you any longer than I have to. As for me, I'm going to go settle into the new town house. I got a text earlier today that it's ready for move in and I'm going to go get the keys."

"Does it really bother you to live in the manor that much?" Katsume asked in a soft voice.

Trent exhaled softly. "Yeah. It's nothing you've done, but I'm dealing with some personal stuff and I need to be alone to do that. I'm still going to be in touch with you and I'll come if I'm needed, but I just need to be alone right now."

Katsume wanted to know more, but the uncomfortable silence was enough to stop him from asking further questions. "I'm sorry for prying."

Trent shook his head. "It's ok. I know it will take a long time to get used to our relationship. You're free to ask questions and I'm sure I'll be asking you loads of questions too."

"I'll keep that in mind." The boy replied as he looked out the window.

* * *

 **The Manor**

Ok, so whenever you and your friends decide what to do for fun, let me know and I'll pay for your half of it. You still have the card and I'll just transfer whatever you need or have Rocky or Adam call me. I'll settle up with them."

"Got it." Katsume said with a grin as he exited the car and ran up the stairs.

When he was in the door, and Trent was alone in the drive way, the veteran ranger sighed and rested his head against the back of his seat.

It was time to take a break from being a guardian. Trent was ready to go to his new house and eat hot wings, drink some beer, and sit around in nothing but his boxers while watching violent movies. Anything to get Ms. Anderson out of his mind.

He was so glad that his ward hadn't picked up on how attracted he was to the pretty councilor. Thankfully, the moment he started to feel anything for her, he stopped himself and put up his barriers. He was not ready for a relationship and the beautiful strong woman deserved better than to be used as a rebound girlfriend.

Trent opened his eyes and after taking a deep cleansing breath, he pulled out of the driveway, turned on a rock station and headed for the new townhouse.

* * *

The moment he walked into the house, Katsume was swamped by the dogs…even Junior was there to greet him. At first he'd felt overwhelmed, but now, he knew what to expect and he knelt down before them and let it happen. He'd never felt so loved in his life.

"Okay, okay, guys. I missed you to, but if you could let me come up for air, that'd be awesome." He said trying to push the dogs away.

Finally, he heard Conner's voice. "Alright you mutts, let him up!"

Instantly the dogs backed up and sat on their behinds with their tails wagging excitedly. Katsume grinned up at Conner who was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. "Go lay down, you crazy pups."

They all yipped at him and trotted all out of the room, except for Beatrice who licked Katsume's face one last time before following her pack out of the room.

When they were gone, Conner shook his head unable to fight he grin on his face. He walked over and held out his hand, helping the young teenager onto his feet. "Come eat with us, we've been waiting for you!"

When Katsume walked into the kitchen, he was hit with the smell of hot pizza and breadsticks. He inhaled the delicious scent and grinned. Fresh hot pizza was something that he hadn't smelled in a long time. The mall's pizza was okay, but delivery pizza was something else entirely.

"Hey, don't just stand there sniffing this gooey goodness!" Kyle said with a grin. "Grab a soda and come join us!"

With a grin, he eagerly complied.

Once he was seated, he took a couple slices from the box and took a few glorious bites. When he'd chased it down with a sip of this drink. He asked what the special occasion was.

"We're having a debate about where to spend out last week of freedom." Autumn said with a grin. "Every year, the week before school starts we have one last fun fest. Before, it was just me and Kyle, but this year, we're going to have some real fun!"

The Asian teenager nodded and then asked. "And the destination is up for debate?"

"Yep," Ranook confirmed "And we were waiting for you to get here to get your input."

"I get a vote?" Katsume asked in surprise. "That's never happened before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Aisha said with a grin. "Is there any place other than Disney Land that you've wanted to go?"

At his confused look, Aisha added. "We promised both Kayla and Fabian to not go there without them. They'd be devastated if we didn't let them come with us."

"We've already suggested, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags, Great Wolf Lodge." Here Klyle paused with a mischievous grin. "And Las Vegas."

"No, I said Las Vegas is out." Rocky interrupted. "Nice try, Son."

Kyle smirked at his dad. "It was worth another shot."

"Yeah, Son. Still, no chance of going there."

Sapphire shook her head. "We were leaning towards Universal Studios, but we didn't think you wanted to go back to where you had all that trouble."

Katsume shook his head. "No, it's okay. Don't need to cater to me. If you guys want to go there, then I'm good with that. Besides, we're not going anywhere close to my old stomping grounds."

Rocky shook his head. "No, we're not. We'd be keeping to the hotel or the park; nowhere in between and Aisha and I are going to be shadowing you guys at all times."

Katsume thought hard. "Okay, my vote is for Universal Studios."

It ended up being a unanimous decision and Rocky nodded. "We figured as much." He rubbed his hands together. "Okay, so if that's the case, then we all need to get to bed as soon as you pack. We're taking the RV because there's so many of us. Be up by 6AM and out the door by 7. I'm not about to do a Home Alone and leave anyone behind."

"Home alone?" Kastume asked. "I don't know what that is."

Rocky groaned. "Okay, and while we're at it, a 90's movie marathon."

Kyle grinned. "This is going to be fun!" Then he paused and looked at Conner. "Are you guys going?"

Conner shook his head. "Nah, it wouldn't be very fun with Kira unable to ride the rides. We're going to stay here and help run the Dojo. Maybe after the baby is born."

With the promise of fun awaiting them in the morning, it didn't take long to get finished with dinner. By 10:00 the kids were fast asleep.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? Feel free to hit that review button and leave me your thoughts and theories.**

 **Up next, the kids have a final few days of fun before the drama starts. See you then!**


	4. The Vacation- Part 1

**I hope everyone has their bags packed! *Grin* Let's get to it!**

 **No real warning for this chapter, so let the bonding begin!**

 **Read on and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

"Alright everyone, time to load up!" Rocky called from the kitchen. "We're leaving in 30 minutes!"

Kyle trudged from his room past the nursery and stopped. Turning the light on, he saw little brother had rolled over on his stomach and was babbling loudly from his crib.

"Hey, Sweetie, would you mind getting your brother into some clothes?" Aisha called as she walked down the stairs with a big suitcase. "I've already fed him and changed his diaper; he just needs to get an outfit on."

"Sure Mom." Kyle replied as he set his backpack by the door.

He walked to the little chest of drawers on his brother's side of the room and pulled out a black onesie with the Harley Davidson logo printed across the front. It had been a little gift he'd bought for his baby brother a few weeks before and had yet to be worn. He pulled out a little pair of black shorts and some socks from the bottom drawer and walked to the changing table. After setting the clothes down, he walked over to his brother's crib, put down the front bars and lifted Rowan out of his crib.

He was gentle as he lowered the baby onto the changing table. "Just hold still little bro, until I can…" he paused as he sniffed something nasty. He narrowed his eyes at his sibling. "Ugh, were you just waiting for me to come get you before you decided to poop or was this something random?"

Rowan gurgled at him while kicking his chubby legs.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Kyle snarked as he reached for the diaper drawer and pulled out what he'd need to do this nasty job.

"Look, I didn't want to do this, so, I'd appreciate you not pissing on me when I change your diaper, okay?"

The baby grinned at him and kicked his legs.

Kyle rolled his eyes and began to undress his baby brother. Thankfully, nothing further happened, and he quickly yet carefully cleaned him up and put a new diaper on. In no time, the baby was properly dressed.

"Awe, that was so cute," Melanie said from the door way. "You're such a good brother."

Kyle shrugged at her as she went to the closet. "Your mom asked me to bring this out while you were in here." She pulled out the baby harness. "Do you want me to show you how to do this?"

Kyle nodded. "Why not? So, do I wear it like a back pack?"

Melanie grinned at him. "Not exactly. At least this way, there's no chance of dropping him on his head." It didn't take more than a few minutes to show him how to snap the snaps and adjust the snaps.

Finally, she carefully slid the baby into the holder and gently pulled Rowan's legs through the holes.

"There we go. Just make sure you support his head and you're all set." A moment later, she handed him diaper bag. "You're all set. Now, you better get going."

Thanks Mel." He answered as he walked out of the room. He was careful to hold his brother's head close to his chest as he descended the stairs.

"Awe, now that's just cute." Rocky said as he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. Kyle shook his head. "Okay, so are we getting out of here or not?"

Aisha grinned at him. "Yeah, Sweetie. The special seat is already installed. Go ahead and get him strapped in."

The Garcia brothers had worked their magic again and had taken out the table area and installed a special platform that would allow a rear facing car seat to be strapped in safely and securely, so it wouldn't move while the RV was in motion. The end product was perfect and now that was where Kyle settled his little brother in. He sat down next to Rowan and carefully strapped in the 5-point harness. When he got up, he saw that his dad had his suitcase in hand and was loading it into the back of the RV.

After that, it didn't take long for the teens to get situated. While Rocky got comfortable in the driver seat, Aisha stepped into the RV and had a quick talk with them.

"So, we're about to start off. We'll stop through a drive through for some breakfast and coffee; but other than bathroom breaks, we're going to drive straight through till we get to LA. We have plenty of snacks and water in the Mini Fridge so help yourself." She paused and looked at her son. "You're in charge of Rowan; he'll probably sleep right through this trip, but if he gets too fussy, let me know and we'll stop somewhere and that'll count as a bathroom break. Any questions?"

When the teens shook their heads, she gave her infant one last lookover before walking up to the passenger seat and strapped in.

Within minutes, they were off on the road trip.

* * *

 **About an hour later**

The teens sat down at the fold out table feasting on their breakfast.

"So, are you going to tell us what you did this summer?" Autumn asked Ranook. "I mean, you were gone all summer and then you show up for my birthday party?"

Ranook frowned and nodded. "I guess now is as good time as any."

When they all looked at him in expectation, he sighed heavily. "I guess that whole incident, including seeing you bleeding out really messed me up. I'd never seen anything like that and it was a shock to my system. I tried my best to downplay my feelings, but I failed miserably at it. It showed up over and over in my dreams so eventually I stopped sleeping. I drank so many energy drinks that I started having heart palpitations. I think I even blacked out in front of my dad and he rushed me to the ER."

"When the doctor confronted me, I lashed out at him and finally spewed everything I was feeling. After I spent a few days in the hospital for observation, they sent me home with a strong suggestion that I seek some therapy."

"Dad decided the best way to help me was to contact one of his friends who was a retired Marine. He took me away to his old base and put me in basic training. Before I knew it, I started to enjoy the rigor. He worked me so hard, that I fell asleep on my own. When I woke up screaming from my nightmares, he took me back to the obstacle course and I told him everything. It really felt good to just let it out and he really put things in perspective for me."

"After the heart to heart, things got easier and before I knew it, I'd finished the program. He asked me if there was any other course I wanted to try out and I asked to learn military tactics. So he put me in with some of the more experienced marines and they taught me everything they could."

He paused and looked at Autumn. "By that time, it was a week before your birthday and when I came home, my dad took me shopping because all my old clothes were a little too tight with how ripped I am now."

He paused and pulled out a set of dog tags, "I earned these babies." He grinned and let go of them. "Not to mention that should we run into any kind of trouble. I can easily neaurtralize the enemy and keep you all safe."

Autumn looked at him sadly. "I wish you'd told us how you'd felt before. We could have helped you through it."

Ranook shook his head. "Nah, you guys had your own trauma to deal with. This really was the best way for me. I don't regret a single moment of my training."

They were all quiet for a few minutes. Katsume took another sip of his Arizona tea and swallowed. he looked at his friends and broke the silence.

"So, guys. I've never been to Universal Studios before, what's it like?"

"It's been a while since we were there last." Kyle answered. "I think we were around 10 last time. But I remember that it was loud and full of people. The tagline says that there, you 'ride the movies' so I think the roller coasters are movie themed. I know there is a bunch of carnival foods and arcade games."

"I remember there being dinosaurs and king kong… and something about Jaws."

"As in the shark movie?" Katsume asked. "I love that movie!"

"Yep, that's the one, but I think the Jaws ride is in Orlando." Leif answered. "I think they have a version of it during the studio tour."

"Don't forget the stunt show!" Autumn said. "I heard it's based on the movie Water World."

"Yet another movie I haven't seen." Katsume sighed.

"Not seen _yet,_ you mean." Autumn grinned at him. "We'll just add it to the list of movies you haven't seen yet."

Katsume nodded, smiling. "I have a feeling that the list is just going to keep growing."

* * *

 **A few hours later**

 _He felt so groggy…and his eyes felt really heavy. And his vision was spinning._

 _A girl was on top of him…and he was feeling a new sensation…it felt good, and yet it was all wrong._

 _Why couldn't he move?_

"Hey, Katsume, wake up! Are you okay?"

When he opened his eyes, Rocky was standing over him looking concerned. Aisha sat by his head and sponged his face…the cloth felt really good on his sweaty skin.

"I think it was a nightmare, but it felt more like a memory…it all felt wrong."

"Don't worry about getting up right now, you can just lay there for a second."

Katsume sighed and closed his eyes. He felt better as the cold cloth sponged his neck.

"Would it help if you tell us about it?"

"Nothing to tell, it was probably just a dream."

Rocky gave him a searching look. Then he grimaced and stood up from where he was sitting. "Ok, then let's get you up to the room. The other guys are already settling in. If a shower would make you feel better, you can grab one before we leave for the park."

Katusme nodded and slowly got up.

"Just remember that you can tell us anything." Aisha told him. "You're safe with us."

The teenager only nodded before sitting up. "I know, but I really think it was just a bad dream."

* * *

This vacation was getting better and better!

For the teenagers, Aisha and Rocky had rented a suite. There were two large beds and two rollouts for them. It was pretty clear who would be getting the beds.

The room had a flat screen TV and a small kitchenette that included a modest fridge and two small bathrooms on either side of the room. Never in his life, had Katsume seen such fancy digs!

As Katsume stood under the spray, he tried to relax. Though the water felt amazing, he couldn't get his mind off the dream…if it was actually a dream. It didn't have the fuzzy feel like other dreams he'd had; no, this one felt more like a memory.

He stopped washing himself off and stiffened. It was a scary thought! If it wasn't a dream, that would mean that at some point, he'd lost his virginity and it had been against his will. He flinched at the thought of the 'R' word. He'd always thought that his first time having sex would be with a girl he loved and it would only happen when they were ready for it…but if that had been his first time, it seriously sucked!

The memory was fuzzy, if it was a memory and his head suddenly spun at the thought of being drugged. He wanted to throw up, but instead he shoved the memory away. No, he was here to have fun, and so what if he'd been r…taken advantage of? Clearly there were no negative side effects or he would have heard about it from the blood tests. He didn't have any STD's and no mysterious babies had shown up with a note attached claiming him as a father, so even if he'd been… with a girl…or multiple girls as his dream/ memory indicated, he was fine and none the worse for wear.

"I'm just going to go on with the vacation and pretend nothing ever happened." He sternly told himself. It was just a dream...er…nightmare.

* * *

 **A couple hours later**

As he sat on the trolly during the Hollywood tour, Katsume couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. The little hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up and he just felt really restless.

"Dude, are you okay?" Ranook asked from the seat next to him. "You're acting like a kid with a sugar high."

Katsume grimaced. "I don't know if I'm being paranoid but feel like I'm being stared at."

Ranook turned in his seat and looked around them. There were a lot of people on the tram and all of them were looking at their phones or talking to their companions or in some cases, looking after their kids who were even more fidgety than his new bro.

On a second pass, he did see a couple of girls that were looking his way. They were total hotties!

He grinned and looked back at Katsume. "Yep, we're being stared at! Two hot chicks right behind us."

Damn, that's weird. I'm not used to that kind of attention." Katsume mused.

"Hey, you're a good-looking dude. Now that you've gotten cleaned up, I'm sure they won't be the only babes to stare at you."

Katsume shook his head. "Right. Are you sure they're not just looking at you. I mean, you're the one who looks like an MMA fighter."

Awe, I'm flattered!"

Katsume only rolled his eyes as the Tour guide started up the engine and pulled out of the station. With all the cool intense action going, the chicks were completely forgotten, for now.

* * *

 **Just after lunch**

"Ok, I've just fed and burped him, he should sleep for a while." Aisha told her son as they sat in a shaded area of the park. It was just outside the Jurassic Park ride and this out of all the rides was one that they'd looked forward to.

"Got it." Kyle said as his mom placed Rowan in the stroller. "Go have fun."

He shook his head as his grinning parents walked off, hand in hand towards the water ride. They were currently sitting in a booth at a open aire café. Kyle sat on the outside of the seat in front of the stroller and Autumn sat on the other side of him. Leif and Sapphire sat across the table while Ranook and Katsume sat on either end.

They were all just sitting there, enjoying their snacks and relaxing in the cool air under the fans when suddenly the load roar of the dinosaur was heard and it startled the baby causing him to cry hysterically as little tears poured out of his eyes.

Kyle put down his drink and sat forward. "Hey, little bro. What happened?"

The baby's cries lessened in volume as he heard his big brother speak to him. He whimpered and more tears stained his baby cheeks.

"What? Was it the dino out there?" Kyle asked as the baby started crying again. Everyone grinned at him as Kyle, who was completely focused on his brother lifted the infant out of the stroller and held him close to his chest.

"Hey now. you don't have to worry about those things out there. They can't get to you in here and even they could, I'd fight them off for you."

The baby was softly whimpering now, and Kyle rubbed his back. "You can just go back to sleep now, I really want to finish my hamburger and fries before it gets cold."

Autumn was giggling now and she picked up a fry and fed it to her boyfriend. "All you had to do was ask."

"Awe, this is so cute." Leif said looking amused as he took out his camera. "I should really capture this on film!"

Kyle only shook his head and was about to speak as a rude voice was heard.

"I swear Larry, these fathers get younger and younger every year." Kyle looked over his brother's head.

"All they care about is booze, weed and having sex with whatever whore will open her legs for him."

"Not surprising, not to mention that horrible rap music they listen to." The feminine voice answered.

Kyle saw the couple at another table. It was a middle aged couple and they looked way too dressed up to be in an amusement park.

"Not even close!" Kyle called back. When the startled couple looked over at him, he looked at them defiantly.

"Excuse me, young man?" The older lady said with a tone of disapproval.

"You heard me, old lady. If you're so interested in me, than you should know that he's my baby brother. I'm watching him so that my parents could have a little time for themselves."

"Just who do you think you are to speak to my wife like that?"

"Some one who has been through a whole lot of bullshit and shouldn't have to deal with yours." He paused as Rowan started crying again. He rubbed the baby's back again. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to focus on getting my baby brother back to sleep."

"I do mind." The man answered as he started walking towards the teenagers. "Obviously your parents didn't teach you to respect your elders."

Ranook suddenly stood up from the booth and put himself between the old man and his crew. A second later, Katsume joined him looking pissed off.

"That's far enough, old timer." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not about to let you spoil the day with your shitty opinions. None of us give a damn about what you think and we were doing just fine before your idiot wife opened her mouth and started talking about my friends as if she knew us."

"Respect is earned." Katsume added quietly. "If you didn't treat us with respect, then we don't owe you any. Now, if you don't mind, we have our meal to get back to."

The older man sneered at him but walked away muttering under his breath. "Rotten kids, nothing good will ever come of them…probably end up in jail."

Ranook rolled his eyes as he turned back to the table. "Typical old geezer."

"You'll get used to it." Katsume said with a shake of his head. "I did a long time ago."

When they sat back down again, Ranook took a deep breath, releasing his irritation. "Yeah, but you left that life behind. This would be a good time to start fresh."

"I agree." Katsume answered. "And I think I'll start by getting a shake!"

"Ooh that sounds good." Ranook agreed. And I think I'll join you."

When the parents got back, looking absolutely windblown and really happy. They saw the friends quietly chatting. Rowan was curled up against his brother's chest and snoring softly.

They couldn't resist snapping another picture of them.

So, did you guys have fun?" Kyle asked them.

Rocky nodded and pulled over a chair straddling it. "So, did anything happen while we were away?"

Autumn picked up another fry and munched on it. She'd decided to indulge and got another order of fries. "Nothing that we couldn't handle."

From across the room the old couple snorted. Aisha turned at the noise but the couple didn't look up from their meal.

"You should be proud of your kids. Trouble came knocking and they handled it like a unit." Said an old retired soldier with a veteran's hat on. He'd seen the whole thing and now stood to his feet. "They're a credit to you."

Rocky looked at his kids who looked innocently at each other and then at his wife. When he looked back at the soldier he smiled. "Wish I could take all the credit, but it was a group effort. Still, i'm glad to know that I can trust them to work together even when I'm not here."

Were you in the military or something?" The old soldier asked.

Or something." Rocky said as Aisha bit her lip. "My wife and I are martial artists along with our friends. Our kids were trained by us from a young age in the same style. We taught them to remain calm in the face of conflict and only fight as a last resort.

"Well, they did you proud today. If there were more kids in the world like them, the world would be a brighter place.

"Thank you sir, I really have no idea what to say to that." Rocky said, looking proud but still a little confused.

"Just keep doing what you're doing and there may just be hope yet for this world."

After shaking the man's hand, the old soldier walked away and Rocky looked at the kids again.

"Well, I have no idea what happened here, but as long as all of you are unharmed and the baby is fine, then we should continue to the next attraction as soon as you are done eating." He paused and pulled out his phone, looking at the app for the park. If we get to the stadium soon, we'll be just in time to watch the stunt show."

* * *

 **So, what do you guys think? It's been a while since I wrote a cute sibling moment, so I really enjoyed writing that part in.**

 **What do you think will happen in the next chapter? What would you like to see in this story?**

 **Let me know in your reviews!**

 **See you all in the next chapter!**


	5. The Vacation- Part 2

**Strap in and hold onto your butts!**

 **This chapter has a trigger warning for mention of a drugged assult of a minor. There is also a minor language warning here too.**

 **Other than that, read on and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

 **(Continued from the last chapter)**

 **About an hour later…**

They were soaked! Grinning and squeezing the water from their shirts, the teenagers ascended to the safe zone of the amphitheater where the adults sat.

"Look at that, Ish! They look like a bunch of drowned cats." Rocky said with an amused grin on his face.

Kyle gave his dad a look and then launched himself at his parent, getting him all wet. Autumn only shook her head and pulled out the towel from the duffle bag they carried and began to towel herself off.

Sapphire casually stripped her shirt off, still wearing her bikini top underneath and began to squeeze the water out of her top. Instantly she heard a whistle; she looked up to see Leif shamelessly grinning at her. She shook her head and threw her wet shirt at him. He caught it easily and proceeded to wring it out with all his strength. When it was done, he put it in their shared bag and tossed his own shirt her way.

In the meantime, Katsume, in a really chilled mood, reached behind him and pulled off his own shirt, openly displaying his tattoo in public. He was in his own world as he squeezed the water out of the garment. He was not as ripped as his bros were, but he was starting to look really toned from his workouts.

He heard a squeak from behind him and he turned his head quickly to see a blushing girl walking quickly away with her friends. He grinned and shook his head and felt eyes on him. He looked up and saw Ranook giving him a look that clearly said. _"Told ya so."_

He snorted and shook his head as he put his shirt back on.

* * *

Katsume stood casually outside of the men's room. After having some refreshments, they'd all decided to take a pit stop and in the baby's case, to get his diaper changed. This vacation was awesome so far, and he couldn't wait to go on more rides and maybe even play a few of those games. His room at the manor could use a cheesey stuffed animal or something like that.

"Well, look who it is…the sexy Street rat." Said a haughty voice. Katsume shuddered involuntarily as he looked up to see two blonde women, a little older than him, standing too close for his comfort.

They were both sinfully beautiful with blue eyes; at first glance he thought that they must be twins, but a second later, he saw that one of them had at least a few inches taller on her friend.

"You don't remember us?" The shorter one asked patronizingly.

The teenager shook his head slowly, though a blurry memory was starting to manifest in the back of his mind.

"Huh, I'm insulted;" the other said with a pout. "All that fun we had and he can't remember a thing."

Instantly, Katsume's mind was assaulted with more memories. His eyes widened and he suddenly wanted to throw up.

 _He was laying in the middle of a big bed and he was naked. His wrists were cuffed to something and his vision blurry as one of the girls used his body. He didn't want to be here…they had given him something earlier, he was sure of it…he felt so weak…_

Katsume shuddered at the memory and fought the urge to vomit. Still he'd never show weakness infront of his tormentors. In the next moment, Autumn and Sapphire were standing between him and the skanks like protective lionesses.

"Get away from him, ho-bag. You've done enough damage."

"Who the hell are you? His new girlfriend? the other girl asked in a snotty voice. "Wow, he really downgraded."

"No, we're his crew. He's one of us now and that is all you need to know." Sapphire answered.

As the boys, who had come out of the bathroom formed a circle around their friend, the confrontation continued.

"You can leave now." Autumn said darkly. "You have three seconds before I end you."

"Ok, we're out of here." The first girl said. "We just wanted to say hi to the street rat. Have a good life, party boy."

They walked away swaying their hips. Autumn gave them a look of disgust while Sapphire rolled her eyes. "Ugh, the skank stench follows them."

With the confrontation over, Katsume allowed himself to sink to the ground, as he felt himself hyperventilating.

"It wasn't a dream…they really did…" he found he couldn't say the word.

In the next minute, Rocky was kneeling in front of him looking at him calmly. "It's okay, son. Take a deep breath and find your calm center, just like I taught you."

"But they drugged me! They made me…"

"Yeah," Rocky said looking at him. "But you need take those deep breathes for me or you'll pass out. Now, close your eyes, find your calm place, and take a deep breath."

As Rocky walked Katsume through a breathing exercise, their crew stood around them in a group. Autumn and Sapphire were shaking with anger and were being held firmly by their respective boyfriends. Ranook had a stormy look on his face and was looking for all the world like he wanted to punch something, and Aisha was sitting with the baby.

Though she looked calm, she could feel her mate's emotions. He was furious but he was pushing it aside in order to focus on the young teenager who needed him more. He'd release the emotions later when they were alone. It was going to be a long night for the both of them.

While all this was going on, Katsume sat with his back against the wall feeling a little calmer as his new sensei coached him through the breathing exercises. At first, he'd privately wondered why these lessons were even necessary; now however, he understood it.

The dizziness in his head had stopped and his vision wasn't swimming anymore.

When he lifted his head, he saw the relief in his teacher's eyes.

"Feeling better?" he asked calmly.

"Yeah. Thanks."

His souvenir cup was passed to him and he drank the water, suddenly realizing how dry his mouth had been.

A few moments later, Rocky helped him to his feet and he felt the concerned eyes of his friends on him.

"Please, can we just continue the day? I'm not gonna let those bitches ruin things for me."

The girls gave him a long look, but thankfully Kyle came to his rescue. He took a deep breath and then asked, "So, what _is_ the next attraction on the list?"

Rocky got up and joined his wife. He knew this wouldn't be the last time this would come up, but he also knew that it wasn't his place to decide what the next step was. That was a decision that was up to Katsume and Trent. They'd all be there to support them, but that was all they could do. He sure hoped Trent was ready for this.

* * *

Twister: the ride was a welcome relief from the earlier drama.

The rest of the day, the girls kept a look out for those bitches to try things again; they never showed themselves. That was a good thing, especially for Katsume. He didn't need the extra drama.

It seemed like they were all on the same page and the boys dragged him to every attraction. They rode the Mummy ride twice as well as making another trip to Jurassic Park. The girls dragged him to every last carnival game and with all of them putting their skills to the test, they made a killing. It was a good thing that they all came in an RV. They would need the room to store their loot, and not just from the games; they'd all made stops at the gift shops too; Katsume especially.

By the time they all trudged back to the RV. They were a tired, happy crew and it was a relief to all involved.

* * *

 **The hotel suite**

"Thanks for today."

The teens all sat on the floor of their suite. In the middle of the circle were two extra large pizzas along with two orders of breadsticks. On the table were at least six 2 Lieters of soda in a variety of flavors.

The parents had retreated with their baby brother to their own room after lecturing them 'to not be too loud because other people might be trying to sleep.' It was the usual lecture, but the teens took it good naturedly and after placing their order for this feast, sat down to just relax after the long day of fun they'd had.

"It's all good, bro." Kyle said. "Though you should know that my dad is probably on the phone telling Trent about what happened today."

"Yeah, I know. I've been in the shelter for most of my life; it feels kind of weird to me to have someone concerned for me like that."

"Trent's a cool guy. He won't smother you." Autumn added. "Though he'll want to discuss everything with you and maybe encourage you to get some counseling."

Katsume frowned "I hope not. I really don't think I need it. Until now, I thought it was just a bad dream." He looked up at them. Can we stop talking about this? I only wanted to thank you for distracting me like this, not to bring up those bitches…" He trailed off.

"Got it." Lief answered for him. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"School." Katsume replied. "What are the teachers like?"

"We honestly don't know. Sapphire answered. "We heard that the school board cleaned house, and everyone was investigated, but we don't know who got fired and who was kept around. What we do know, is that we got a new principle and that new councilor you told us about. I'd also mention Mrs. Appleby but she retired last year."

"The only teacher I can think of that is most likely around would be Miss Serena." Leif added. "She's the English teacher; she's really nice and goes easy on the homework."

"I get the feeling that it's going to be like walking into a post-apocalyptic world." Autumn commented. "School was hell last year and things got really nasty. I don't think any of us know what to expect with this new school year."

They got quiet for a few moments as they finished their pizzas.

"We bought a new van." Leif announced with a grin. "It's a sweet ride. Saph and I were working on upgrading the mini bus this last year."

"You bought a mini bus?" asked Kyle. "Like in Scooby doo?"

"It's more like Filmore from that new Cars Movie. Grans helped me buy it from craigslist. It was a little broken down from normal wear and tear, but the engine was in great condition and it just needed a few new parts and now the Lady Moon Racer is finally ready for her debut."

"Lady Moonracer?" Kyle asked. "Strange name."

"It's an homage to King Moonracer from that Christmas movie." Sapphire answered with a grin. "King Moonracer was the ruler on The Island of Misfit Toys."

"And here, I thought you were all about Halloween." Kyle asked with a grin.

"Well, as much as I enjoy Halloween and it's my favorite holiday, I love Christmas too and I will forever love Rudolf The Rednosed reindeer. He's the patron saint for misfits everywhere."

"So why didn't you name it Rudolf?"

"Because we're goth." Sapphire said with a grin. "And Moon Racer sounds really gothic…besides, the night we watched that movie together was the night we kissed for the first time."

At that, Leif grinned at her.

"Ugh, please, for he sake of us single guys, could you tone down-" Ranook said with a grimace.

"Oh please, it's not like we're going to get busy with you guys in the room." Sapphire said with a blush.

"Yeah, neither of us are." Autumn added. "We're not about to open _that_ door with people in the room. I just get the privilege of sharing a bed with my mate."

"We promise to keep things G-rated for the rest of this road trip." Sapphire added.

"You mean PG-13." Lief said with a frown at his girlfriend.

The whole time Katsume was grinning at them and shaking his head. It was a good reminder that love didn't equate to what had happened to him. No, there was apparently a good side to these romantic relationships."

"Hey, if you need to, you can go sleep in the RV…or we can build you a blanket fort." Kyle said with a teasing grin.

He laughed louder when Ranook flipped him off.

"Look, we'll probably just be cuddling and sleeping. Nothing else while you're in earshot, okay?" Autumn stated.

"Yeah, I'll be wearing ear buds tonight. You kids have fun."

"You know, I bet you wouldn't have such a problem if you had a girl of your own." Sapphire said with a calculating grin. "You're a good dude, it wouldn't be that big of a challenge."

"No thank you. I don't need you ladies playing match-maker." Ranook protested. "If I want a hot date, I'll go get one."

Katsume laughed even louder at the silliness going on. It felt wonderful to laugh after all the drama from earlier.

* * *

"So, what movie are we going to watch tonight?" Autumn asked a little while later. The pizza had been consolidated to one box and put in the mini fridge along with whatever sodas remained. The breadsticks, of course had all been consumed.

Now, after making up the two extra cots and changing into their pajamas, they all sat facing the flat screened TV.

Kyle, having found the Pay-Per-View list scrolled through the menu and stopped on a movie that had been out for a few years.

"How about Jurassic park? He asked. "We haven't seen that in a while."

They all seemed to be okay with it, but they all looked over at Katsume. He shrugged. "It's on my list. I've never seen it."

"Then man-eating dinosaurs, it is. I'll get the lights."

About 15 minutes into the movie, Autumn's phone vibrated with a text message. She picked up from the side table and opened up the message. It was from her dad.

 _Dad: Hey Sweetie. How's the trip going?_

 _A: It's great, Dad. We all had a blast!_

 _Dad: That's great Sweetie. What are you doing now?_

 _A: Watching Jurassic Park._

 _Dad: Great. You guys totally planned this, didn't you?_

 _A: What do you mean Dad?_

 _Dad: I'm surprised that your Uncle Rocky hasn't told you that story yet. Let's just say that it's a throwback to something I said during out ranger days. It all makes sense now that your aunt and uncle took selfie of themselves infront of the ride and sent it to me, with the caption. "Having a blast! And thank goodness there won't be any possessed dinosaur bones waiting for us."_

 _A: Ok, now I'm curious about that whole thing._

 _Dad: It can wait. Your mom and I just wanted to see how you were doing. Are you ok money wise?"_

 _A: I think so, but I did spend a little bit more than I expected to in the gift shop. I've added a few stuffed animals to my zoo. I also bought a couple more T-shirts and a stuff. Uncle Rocky has been feeding us this whole time._

 _Dad: That's fine sweetheart. We'll let you get back to your movie. Just call me if you should need anything before you get back._

 _A: Will do, love you guys!_

 _Dad: Love you too! Be good!_

When Autumn put the phone down, Kyle grinned at her. "We're definitely going to ask my Dad about the possessed Dino bones."

Autumn laughed softly and leaned into her boyfriends arms as the terrified characters on the screen ran away from the scary T-Rex.

She never really got tired of this movie; even more, she found that she loved the ride after watching it.

Even with the drama today, this trip was still loads of fun!

* * *

 **Angel Grove**

 **Trent's House**

Trent walked out of his master bathroom with a luxury towel wrapped around his waist. He'd just taken a really relaxing shower and was now ready to catch the evening news before going to sleep. He'd checked in that morning with Rocky and was pleased to hear that everything was going good so far.

The furniture had arrived that day and he'd been busy getting things set up the way he wanted it. The only room he didn't touch was Katsume's bedroom and bathroom. When they came back from the trip, he'd ask for at least a day so that he could settle in and get him ready for school.

After pulling on his sleep pants, he pulled back the covers and got in adjusting the soft pillows behind his back. Just as he reached for the remote, his cellphone went off.

When he flipped it open, he saw Rocky's number on the ID. Instantly warning bells went off his head. It was pretty late for a check in. if anybody should be calling him, it would be Katsume…but not Rocky.

Hesitating for a moment, he swiped the screen and put the phone up to his ear.

"Hey, what's up?"

It took a few minutes to get the story out, but when it did, Trent's eyes widened in shock.

You've got to be kidding…is Katsume okay?"

 **" _This is not something I would joke about. He bounced back pretty quick once the initial shock wore off, and he seemed to care more about continuing with the day than about anything else. I don't think you need to come running up here, but I didn't want to spring this on you all at once. I wanted to give you time to figure out what you want to do since this is in your wheelhouse. Like I said, I don't think you need to come running up here, but you should probably think about what your next move will be. I can't even guarantee that he'll want to talk about what happened."_**

Trent blew out a breath. "I think when you guys get back, I'm gonna bring him to the house and spend some time discussing this. I won't pressure him, but I want to gauge how he's dealing with this. I'll have him back to the manor on Sunday night, so he can go to school with his friends."

 **" _Sounds good to me. While we're here, I'm going to follow through with my plans as we had them. If anything, else happens, I'll let you know."_**

"Yeah, keep me posted. See you guys when you get back."

When the phone call ended, Trent set his phone down and put his head in his hands. When he first agreed to be the kid's benefactor, he'd only thought about 'paying it forward' for the way that his dad had adopted him. If he were honest with himself, he'd known when that whole confrontation with that asshole parole officer went down that there was nothing simple about Katsume's situation.

 _And now there's this…_

Trent took another deep breath. _Well, if Rocky said things are ok, then he'd let it be._

But he'd definitely keep an eye on his ward.

* * *

 **So, what did you guys think?**

 **I know it was pretty rough, and I hadn't really planned on going down this road, but I needed to get his backstory in somewhere. It really sucks for him, but let's face it. In this screwed up world, stuff like this goes down all the time.**

 **I promise that all will be well and our friend will recover and come out stronger than you'd think.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you on the flip side when the crew returns from their vacation.**


	6. Bleeding Out

**Sooooo, there wasn't that much of a response to the last chapter. I know it's a mirky subject, but I hope guys are still with me.**

 **Anyway, this is a Trent centric chapter that I felt needed to happen to explain his backstory. At the time I wrote this, I'd looked online and didn't find much of a backstory on him, so I created my own. Then, after I took one more look on wikipedia, I found out there was actually a backstory. However, I'm feeling a little lazy, so I decided to keep going with what I had.**

 **Anyway, this story, along with getting a different title got upgraded to M for mature. That being said, I am going to keep the trigger alert for language and sensitive content, at least for this chapter.**

 **I think that should do it, so read on and see me at the bottom.**

* * *

 **The Manor**

 **In the Dojo**

Trent sat on the floor of the dojo in what was supposed to be a relaxed pose. His shoulders were tense and the expression on his face was that of a brooding man lost in memories…

 _He could feel himself moving…the flashing red and blue lights were very blurry…he could vaguely hear the voice of the paramedic talking about him._

 _Patient is a male, 17 year old Hispanic male with suspected alcohol poisoning and possible concussion. He was unresponsive when we arrived but we've managed to stabilize him and are now in route to Reef side Memorial hospital. ETA 10 minutes._

 _Fuckin hell! He felt like shit and the euphoria he'd felt after downing that bottle of Bourbon was gone, now he just wanted to pass out. But that stupid fucking medic had jabbed him with that stupid fucking needle and wasn't letting him sleep._

" _Son, can you hear me?"_

 _His vision was blurry, but he could tell that his father was still with him._

"Hey Trent, are you okay?"

Trent looked up to see Connor and Ethan in the doorway. They'd slipped off their sandals and now sat across from him.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"I could feel your tension from my house." Connor said. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Yeah, we're teammates power or no powers." Ethan added. "No matter what it is, we can handle this as a team."

"There's nothing to handle, really. Something came up with Katsume and I don't know how to deal with it."

"What happened?"

"At some point, before we knew about him, Katsume was drugged and…raped by some women. We don't know who they are or how long ago it happened. Rocky called me yesterday to let me know. They'll be back by tomorrow night and I have no idea how to respond to this. I signed up to help Katsume out, but this is something I didn't plan for. I had no idea what shape he's in and I'm lost. This isn't something I can just throw money at and make it better."

"Woah, that's pretty heavy." Conner said commented in a quiet voice.

"I'm not going to abandon him, but I'm lost. I was ready to be a benefactor and do the whole 'pay it forward thing' but this seems more like something a parent should be doing."

"Well, that's kind of what you are right now." Ethan said. "He's a good kid in a gnarly situation, He may act like a tough teenager and that was us not long ago, but deep inside, he'll need support and he'll look to you now."

"Got any idea on how to go about that? I'm not exactly parent material."

"But you _are_ a power ranger." Conner pointed out. "And now you're facing a monster that can't be fought with our powers or dino zords." He paused. "I know that this isn't the same situation as Kira, but I have a feeling that he might react like Kira did. He needs to know that you are there for him to talk to, but whatever you do, don't force him to talk about it. That's going to make him lash out at you for sure."

Trent nodded.

"Be a firm guardian and guide him he when he needs it, but don't force him into anything." Ethan added. "You know that we're here for you."

Trent nodded. "Thanks guys, I needed that."

Connor nodded and then got up from where he sat. "Good, now how about we spar. It'll help with any pent-up energy.

By the time they were back in the manor, Trent was exhausted and ravenously hungry. Tanya and Adam had taken advantage of kid's road trip and had taken off by themselves.

So, in their absence, Kira and Melanie had taken over the kitchen affairs. That meant more grilling done by the guys and the girls had made some fries as well as slicing up tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

The kitchen smelled wonderful and Trent's mouth watered as he came through the back doors.

Needless to say, he ate ravenously and there were no leftovers afterwards. When he'd had his fill, he was suddenly really sleepily and with hardly any urging, he went up to the adult's floor and found an open room and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, he got up feeling a little better. His dreams of late had been filled with the painful memories he couldn't seem to shake. Not surprisingly they'd all featured Sophie and the week following their breakup. That had been more less than a month now and the emotional scars were starting to heal. After all the heavy sparring, and they'd really forced him to use all his skills, he'd slept really well.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, he left the manor and headed out to get some coffee at the local Starbucks. They were making a killing off him these days.

It was just about 10 am when he got to the park. According to Dr. O, these parks had undergone quite the improvement since the 90's. A few more water features and a fenced in Koi Pond had been added along with a covered resting area for the hot summer months. This was where Trent sat down to drink his coffee and Burger King breakfast.

He enjoyed the quiet fall morning and took in all the natural beauty surrounding him. It had always helped him calm his mind and find his balance. As if sensing she was nearby, he looked up and to his surprise he saw Gabriella jogging along the path. Unlike last time he'd seen her, she was wearing a white and black jogging suit complete with hoodie and faded tennis shoes. His eyes slid down her well toned body as she slowed to a walk in front of him.

 _Hot damn she was a gorgeous woman._

"If you're going to undress me with your eyes, then the least you could do is buy me breakfast first, Mr. Fernandez."

Trent grinned at her. "Name the time and place. The sky's the limit."

She laughed as she took a deep breath. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm clearing my head and indulging my caffeine obsession while Katsume is off with his friends on a road trip. Last I heard, they were at Universal Studios."

"It must be overwhelming to be going from a bachelor to caring for an underage foster kid."

Trent nodded in agreement before taking another sip from his coffee cup." It's more like going from being a college student to being a foster parent and worrying about their wellbeing. Though I'm sure it's even more challenging to be a parent with an autistic child. I can't imagine what that's like."

"It's not an easy gig, but I love my son more than anything. He's a lot smarter than people think."

"So, where is he this morning?"

"With his father over in Stone Canyon. I believe they decided to have a dude weekend, which in my son's case should include a trip to the aquarium."

On hearing this, Trent smiled. "That sounds amazing. I was planning to take a trip there myself to get some inspiration."

At her surprised look, he chuckled. "My friends are expecting a baby, they asked me to paint a mural for the nursery; I'm supposed to recreate the ocean for them.

"So, you're an artist too. That's pretty fitting."

Trent nodded. "Yeah, that's where I was before coming here to Angel Grove. I just graduated Art School; That's what first got my attention when I heard that Katsume needed help."

At that, Gabriella sat down next to him. "I was wondering about that. His file didn't shed that much light on his background. All I got were his transcripts, police record, and a note about his attempted suicide."

Trent fought to keep his composure at the memory of the showdown at the hospital; his eyes flashed momentarily. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the pretty councilor who was giving him a concerned look.

"I'm okay. It's just that what happened at the hospital was petty intense and nasty…more for him than for me."

"Is he still suicidal?" she asked him in a concerned voice. "I need to know if he's a danger to himself."

Trent looked up at her sharply. "No, I don't think he is. I don't know what was in that note, but after the showdown I had with his parole officer I strongly think that his attempted suicide had more to do with his desperation to get away from LA than from any kind of depression."

She put her hand on his arm and he took notice about how comforting it felt.

"Will you tell me more?" she asked him. "We'll keep it off the record."

Trent took a sip of his coffee and took another deep breath. Expelling it he continued.

"I had just gotten to Angel Grove…to the manor my mentor and his friends own. Bryce Kensington is the father to one my friends. As far as I understand, he's a philanthropist working with a group of independent detectives and lawyers to help free the falsely imprisoned. I'm not sure how Katsume's file showed up, because I wasn't there for it, but I heard the tale end of the discussion. Bryce was already in LA visiting his daughter and son in law- my friends. Ashton and his group had already filed the paper work and all they needed was someone to go and bring Katsume back. They needed someone who had the time and money to make the trip and I had both."

Trent looked up to see that he had her full attention.

"I thought this was just me doing my part and paying it forward, but when I got the call that he'd attempted suicide I pulled my team in and got to the hospital as soon as I could and it was just in time to see that asshole probation officer going after him. I still don't have the full story about why that officer was on his case, but he had that pediatrics wing in an uproar.

He said some pretty nasty things, all of which I got on the hidden recorder. My team and I got into a showdown with that pig and he's threatened to kick our asses if he ever sees us in Los Angeles again. We were sure to get Katsume out of there as soon as the ER doctor could sign the release papers."

Trent looked up at Gabrielle again. "Long story short, I'm now his guardian and benefactor all rolled into one; I don't think he'll be making repeat attempts to off himself. In the weeks that he's been here, he's been nothing but a care free happy teenager. He's got a solid support group and he'll never have to worry about being left alone to deal with anything like that ever again. The only thing he'll have to deal with now is keeping his grades up and dealing with bullies left over from last year."

Gabrielle nodded grimly. "I'm hoping there won't be much drama other than the usual stuff. Sadly, even with all the new teachers starting this year, there still might be trouble. There's no such thing as a perfect school."

* * *

After they'd parted ways, Trent had lots to reflect on. Not the least of it being how attracted he felt to the lovely councilor. He couldn't deny that she was absolutely gorgeous and had a bold fearless aura about her that he couldn't stop thinking about, but he also knew that this wasn't the right time for him to make a move.

His heart was still in shreds and she was such a sweet lady. It would be unthinkable to use her as a rebound relationship. Not to mention that there was a young boy in the midst of it and he didn't want the child to get hurt. She had enough to deal with and so did he. As much as he would love to start a romantic relationship with Ms. Anderson, now was not a good time.

And so, he reinforced the walls he built around his heart.

* * *

 **The Manor**

 **The next evening**

Trent looked up with a smile as the front door opened. He was currently sitting at the table with Conner and Kira as the tired but happy teens trooped in with their luggage behind them.

"So, should we bring out the cart for all the prizes?" Conner asked.

"You might just have to." Rocky answered with a grin. "They played their hearts out."

Trent looked towards the door again as Katsume walked in with a happy grin on his face. However, the grin vanished when he saw his benefactor in the doorway. In an instant, Trent saw the question in his eyes.

"No, we don't have to discuss anything tonight. Go ahead and finish the night with your friends. This conversation can wait till tomorrow."

He looked relieved as he nodded and took his stuff up to his room.

Conner saw the whole thing and when the teens were gone, he walked over to Trent. "Dude, are you sure that's a good idea? Isn't it better to get the whole thing over with?"

Trent grimaced. "Yeah, it is. But all wounds, especially ones of the mind and heart take their own time to heal. It's not something that can be hurried along. Besides, I have a feeling that the time to purge the infection will come sooner rather than later. For now, let him have his fun."

* * *

 **Later that night, about 2 AM**

Katsume laid awake in his bed. He'd fallen asleep around ten when the others did, but that didn't last very long. The dreams had been plaguing him every night since his run in with the bitches at the park…and that is what he called them. While he was well aware of what they'd done to him, he refused to use the R word. It was just too humiliating to see himself in a position that he'd only seen with girls on those police dramas.

Finally, resigned to the fact that he wouldn't be getting any more sleep for the night, he got up, put his robe and slippers on, and walked down the stairs and to the back door. He stopped short seeing Trent on the back steps; he was once again drinking coffee.

Opening the door, he slipped outside and joined Trent on the stairs. "Were you waiting on me?"

Trent looked over him with a small smile. "No. But I had a feeling that you might have trouble sleeping. I've always been a Night Owl, and I was keeping Ethan company while he fed his daughter."

"So what, do you have some kind of ranger power that tells you when someone can't sleep?"

Trent chuckled at him. "Not exactly. Our dino gems are drained…at least until recently. But we still have some of our extra powers, if I wanted to use my powers, I would only be able to blend into my surroundings."

"So then how did you know I'd be up?"

"Because I've been in a similar situation, though I wasn't raped by anyone."

Katsume flinched at the word and Trent noticed, though he didn't react. "It's more commonplace than you think and nothing to be ashamed of. Most men won't report it out of embarrassment, but it doesn't change the fact that it happened. Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault."

Could you stop using that word?" Katsume asked pleadingly. "Its…wrong."

Trent gave him a compassionate look. "Okay, we don't have to use that word. But since we're both out here and wide awake, we should talk about it. I think you'll sleep better once we expose this ugliness.

"Can we go somewhere else to do this? Somewhere away from the house?"

Trent nodded and got up. "The garden is completely enclosed. It will do."

During the summer, the garden had been extended and this little garden area had the newest improvement. Two sturdy benches had been added along with a small metal table. This is where Trent led them to. It was the farthest corner of the garden and it was the most private place he could think of.

Both men sat down on their own benches and spent a moment or two in quiet. Finally Trent broke the silence.

"This isn't going to be comfortable for either of us, but I won't dance around any of this. I know that you expect me to say that I know how you feel, and while I understand what emotional pain and suffering feel like, I know that what you went through is a whole different thing than what I did. The only reason I'm willing to bare my soul to you is to show you that in this respect, we're on the same level."

He paused and looked up at his charge who was giving him an unreadable look.

He took a deep breath and began.

"When I was young, I lost my mother and step sister when my sire killed them while I was in school. My adopted father…Aton Mercer came to get me and told me the horrible news. Within two months, I legally became his son. I also was aware that my little sister was a product of the love affair between Anton and my mother.

By the time I bonded with the white dino gem, we were two peas in a pod. Though he did go off for a while on that blasted island. I never wanted for anything and a skeleton crew was hired to look after the house and to make sure I did my homework and ate good food."

"When I bonded with the white dino gem, I had no idea that it was evil. It corrupted me and I became an evil villain and tried to kill off the other rangers. Eventually the evil gem was destroyed, though I was able to keep my powers. I was allowed to fight on their team and they trusted me to a point, but I betrayed them by not revealing what I knew about my father's alter ego."

My problem was that I loved my father and I couldn't bare the thought of betraying him. But on the other hand, I was a power ranger and my team trusted me. It was all too much for me to handle, and when the truth came out, I felt guilty for everything. I just wanted it to end and I wanted to numb everything I was feeling.

"So, naturally, I did something stupid and became an alcoholic at 17 years old. When my dad was gone for the weekend, I took out the 6 pack of beer he kept in the fridge and began to drink them until I felt that pleasant buzz. Sadly, within a few hours the buzz went away and I started to look for something stronger that would last longer. That turned out to be the bottle of high priced bourbon that my father kept in the cabinet of his office. I drank that baby all in one run and before I knew it, I'd fallen to the floor black out drunk and with a concussion.

That's where my dad found me when he came home. I was unresponsive and barely breathing. The EMT's were able to wake up and stabilize me to a point before they rushed me away in an ambulance. When I regained consciousness, I had an IV in my arm and a furious dad in my room along with a pissed off mentor. They both read me the riot act and made me swear to never pick up a bottle until I was of legal age. I could have very well died from alcohol poisoning and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"Like I said before, I'm not proud of this, but I do understand how it feels to just want to escape. That's why when I was told what happened to you, I wanted to get everything out in the open between us before you made some kind of stupid mistake like I did."

Katsume looked up at him sharply. "Like committing suicide, maybe?"

Trent nodded. "Yes, but I don't hold that against you. You were desperate to escape that pig-headed probation officer and I'm sure that death was the only way you could think of to end your suffering. However, I want you to know that suicide is _not_ the answer. If you find yourself in a situation like that again, come talk to me first. I don't care how crazy the situation is, I've seen a lot of crazy things as a ranger, I doubt that anything out there that would surprise me."

"Why does that sound like one of those _famous last words_?" kastume asked with a wry grin.

Trent shrugged. "Because it probably is. We live in a universe where crazy monsters that look like they were created by a kindergarteners can grow to the size of a skyscraper. Not to mention that I used to run around in spandex that left _nothing_ to the imagination. Believe me, I learned fast that I needed to wear compression shorts all the time, just in case we were called into action."

At this Katsume grinned and shook his head. "That's crazy."

Trent nodded and then sobered up. "So, it's your turn. It's just the two of us so you can speak your mind; I won't judge you."

Katsume sighed and then looked up at his mentor again. "The truth is that until those bitches came up to me at the park, I thought it was all just a nightmare. Finding out that those were real memories freaked me out. All I remember is being groggy and really out of it. Some chick was on top of me and I was tied down, she was enjoying herself if those were moans I was hearing, I know that it's not that unusual to cash in your v-card in high school, but I didn't want it to happen that way. It's embarrassing and I'm angry about it, but I didn't want those bitches to ruin the fun we were having."

Trent nodded. "Would sparring help you get out your anger?"

Katsume looked up at him. "Now?"

* * *

 **The next day**

"You guys really slept in. It's almost noon." Rocky said as Trent walked into the kitchen. "Katsume missed his workout session this morning."

Trent looked over at the teenager who was busy digging into his lunch. "Yeah, do I need to sign a tardy slip? We had a heart to heart last night and then we sparred in the dojo till he'd gotten all his anger out. He's gonna be sore for a day or two, but he should be fine by Monday."

"So, are you going to be taking him back to the townhouse?"

Trent nodded. "Yes, but there's no rush. The furniture came in while you guys were gone; other than the basic pieces, I left his half of the townhouse bare. We're going to Sears to get whatever he wants for his bathroom and bedroom. I know he'll want to go to school with the others, so I'll have him back here Sunday night."

Rocky nodded. "Good deal. A moment later he clapped his hands together. "So we have plenty of sandwich stuff, what can I make you?"

* * *

 **So, there you have it. Trent has his backstory and we are now ready to get to the hero portion of this story.**

 **Next up, the kids have their first day at school.**

 **Please leave me a review, they really help me know if I should keep this fic going or not.**


	7. First Day Jitters!

**Happy October everyone!**

 **Here I am with the next chapter! I'm pretty sleepy right now, so, I'll keep this AN short.**

 **There's not much in the way of warnings for this chapter except for foul language and situations. Other than that, it should be smooth sailing.**

 **Alright, read on and I'll see you at the bottom.**

* * *

 **Monday Morning**

Kyle opened his eyes and glanced at the digital alarm clock. It was way too early for him to be up…or it would be if this wasn't the first day of school. Groaning, he tried to stretch out but a moment later, he realized that he was currently pinned down by a soft body.

He grinned down at his slumbering mate. She'd taken a shower the night before and she smelled really good. The coconut shampoo and conditioner she used permeated her hair and to him it was a pleasant fragrance. It was currently braided back to prevent tangling and her purple pajama top had ridden up a little bit, providing just a hint of skin on skin contact against his bare chest.

That was something he loved; from the time he hit his teens, he'd always went to bed without a shirt on. When he and Autumn started sharing a bed just after his attack, he'd taken to wearing a tank top in order to maintain a sense of propriety and to appease her parents. Now that they were both 16, he'd once again happily discarded the tank top and slept topless again.

Autumn, on the other hand, still maintained some decorum and though she wore the spaghetti strap pajama top and soft cotton shorts, she also wore her soft sports bra underneath. That was probably a good thing, if he were honest. The temptation to touch her and probably feast on her body was already difficult to resist. If she were to come to bed without that thin layer of clothing, it would drive him mad with lust…and keeping his manly parts in check was already a challenge…especially right now. He could already feel himself pitching a tent at those thoughts. He blew out a breath and looked at the digital clock again. It was 6AM and time for them to get up. Their crew had made plans to get breakfast before homeroom and since their first class was at 8 they had about two hours to…

"I can just hear those gears in your head turning." Autumn said in an amused voice as she stirred from her sleep.

Kyle smiled down at her as she shifted against him, just brushing against his crotch.

She smiled back at him. "I guess I should go get dressed. You _definitely_ need a few moments alone."

He grinned at her sheepishly. "Side effects of sleeping with my beautiful mate. I can't do a thing to prevent it at this point."

She shifted again and sat up slowly. "Yeah, no kidding. Anyway, I'm gonna go get dressed. See you downstairs."

He nodded and got up, heading for the bathroom to get a handle on his situation.

* * *

 **45 Minutes later**

Autumn stood in front of the mirror as she zipped up the side of her skirt. It was made from soft black leather and she wore her black top with the wings on the back. Along with that, she wore black leggings underneath and knee-high boots of the same color. About thirty minutes prior, Sapphire had stood behind her as she sat at her vanity and helped her apply the makeup she'd bought at the mall. Unlike the makeup from her sweet 16, which was very sweet and innocent looking, this palate was edgier and really brought out her eyes. The only thing that she didn't do was the wings on her eyeliner; Sapphire had done that for her and she'd done an amazing job.

"Wow, sweetie!" Tanya said with a grin as she stood in the doorway. "You look so grown up!"

Autumn looked up in the mirror as she smoothed her skirt.

"Hey mom, I didn't know you'd be back today."

Tanya walked into her room and she gave her daughter a once over. "I love the new theme. It's nice to see the dragon girl coming out to play again."

Autumn gave her mother a confused look. "Dragon girl?"

Tanya nodded. "Yep. You were pretty young back then, but you loved anything to do with dragons and that included the Halloween Costume you just had to wear your first time trick or treating. I think you were about 4 or 5, but you had the wings and the cute little black boots. The theme of your nursery was dragons…or at least your half of the nursery. The other half was a mashup of bears and monkeys. It was a strange looking room."

"Tell me you got pictures." Autumn said with a grin.

"You bet we did." Adam added as he walked in. "They're mixed in with those infamous bathtub pictures that you teenagers cringe at. We made sure to get enough of them for blackmailing later."

"Not that we need them." He added a moment later. "You kids turned out to pretty well behaved."

He paused and copied his wife, giving his baby girl a glance. "She's right. You look very grown up." Blowing out a breath, he reached into back pocket and pulled out his wallet. From that, he pulled out a shiny black card and held it up.

"I know that as your mate, Kyle will probably take care of breakfast and lunch. But just in case, here's a prepaid Visa card. I put a hundred bucks on here…just don't go crazy with it."

Autumn grinned and turned around. "Thanks Dad. I promise to behave myself."

He kissed her forehead. "I know you will, my Dragonet." He walked over to the back of the chair and picked up the leather jacket and held it out for her. "But you better finish up and get down there. Your crew is downstairs waiting for you."

After receiving hugs from her parents, she checked her makeup one last time and headed down the stairs.

* * *

Kyle was all grins when he saw her descend the stairs. She felt his eyes on her and she loved it. She grinned at him as she stepped off the final stair and walked towards him. He automatically folded her into a hug and kissed her forehead.

"Alright, Lovebirds, break it up." Ranook said with a smirk. "We need to get going if we want to get breakfast."

"Hold on a second." Tanya said as she pulled out her camera phone. "We need a group photo."

When group photos were over, they all grabbed their backpacks and walked out the door. Outside in front of the house were two vehicles. One was _The_ _Moonracer,_ which they'd all seen the night before, and next to it was a 1998 Jeep Wrangler with its soft top down. It's black exterior shone in the early morning sun and the headlights gleamed.

"Who does this belong to?" Kyle asked with an arched eyebrow.

"She's mine." Rannook answered with pride. "Dad had this car for years and he passed her down to me. I've been working on updating her and she's finally ready. She's got a new sound system and speakers and all new wheels. Oh and I named her Lady Croft."

"What happened to all of us riding in the _The Moonracer_?" Lief asked, sounding disappointed.

"Not for me, thanks. I'm not going to get _any_ chicks riding around in a VW bus."

Lief gave him a weird look, but then shook his head and walked towards his car. "Alright, suit yourself; let's get going."

"Katsume, want to ride with me? It'll be a lot more fun in the jeep." Ranook said looking at the newest member of their crew.

Katsume looked at the Jeep and then at the Volkswagen. Finally, he looked at his friends.

"Do I really have to choose?"

"Hey, it's okay." Kyle said. "Ride with 'Nook if you want to. We're still a crew no matter what."

Katsume nodded and then got into the passenger side of the jeep. Minutes later, they were off to IHOP.

* * *

"So, are we ready to do this?" Autumn asked. She looked at her mate who was looking stressed out. His nostrils flared and his eyes were wide.

"Hey, we're all going to be with you." Leif added. "We've got you, There's not a single class today that one of us won't be with you for."

Kyle only nodded, though he didn't stop shaking. Autumn bit her lip and then looked at the others. "Guys, can you give us a little space?"

When they were alone, Autumn drew her boyfriend in close. "You're my mate, Kyle. I'll destroy anyone who messes with what's mine."

Kyle nodded again before taking a deep breath. Hearing the words of his mate, he took a deep breath and stood straighter.

"Good. Now kiss me…"

"When the kiss ended, Autumn stepped back. "Okay, so let's do this. It's almost time for homeroom." Taking his hand in hers, she lifted her pack onto her shoulder and together they joined their friends. As a group, with Ranook in the front and Katsume bringing up the rear with the couples in the middle, they walked through the double doors.

The hallway was bustling with students talking in their cliques, the more serious students were quietly storing their belongings in their lockers and preparing for their first day of school.

Thankfully, their lockers were close to each other, and it didn't take long for them to put their belongings away and get out the basics they would need for class.

So far, so good.

The backpacks were stored, and the lockers were secure.

Taking up a loose formation again, they began the first day of class.

* * *

Mrs. Pauline's class was much like one would expect at any average high school. As they walked in the room, everyone got really quiet. Uncomfortably quiet.

Kyle hated the quiet; Autumn however took charge of things and led them to a pair of empty seats and sat down pointedly ignoring the stares. Kyle immediately followed her example. He focused on his girlfriend and let everything happen around him.

Leif and Sapphire were used to the stares, so they just simply took up seats in the classroom where they could keep an eye on their friends.

Katsume stood in the doorway, putting on a brave face. He walked confidently into the room and took up a desk next to a pretty girl. A moment later, he recognized her to be the same girl from the mall. He grinned at her as he sat down and pulled out his notebook.

She grinned back and quickly looked away.

Soon the homeroom bell rang and the teacher walked in. Miss Pauline was a very pretty woman in her thirties with long blonde hair that she pulled back with jeweled butterfly clip. She wore a pale lavender blouse with a pair of loose fitting jeans and a pair of strappy sandals.

To the naked eye she looked very professional and put together with perfect makeup, but Katsume, with his artist eyes could see some discoloration beneath the concealer. It didn't quite blend together…

"Good morning class and welcome to the new school year! I'm Miss Pauline and for the rest of the year, I'll be your homeroom and lit teacher. This year we have a new student joining us. Katsume Shen, would you please introduce yourself to the class?"

Katsume groaned and took a deep breath before he walked to the front of the class. He hated this part.

He shoved his hands in the front of his black hoodie and walked up to the front of the class. "Hi, I'm Katsume Shen and I just moved here from LA with my new guardian. I'm an artist."

"So, you're a street rat?" Said a haughty looking girl in the front seat.

Katsume flinched at the nickname.

"That's uncalled for." Ranook said with an angry tone of voice.

Katsume looked up at his friends who looked ready to jump to his defense. He flashed a smile at them.

"Actually, I prefer the term Diamond in the rough, and hey, that just means I have a chance at finding my princess Jasmine."

"Oh puleeze. Not even a chance."

Ranook looked about ready to jump up from his seat.

Katsume snorted. "Don't even worry about it. You're not even on my radar."

"Hey wait, aren't you that dude that helped find that handicap dog a home?" asked the pretty girl he'd smiled at earlier. "I think I saw you being interviewed on the net."

Katsume nodded. "Yeah, we both got really lucky. I was really happy when she got adopted."

"That's wonderful, Mr. Shen, you may be seated now. Since this is the first day, we don't really have much to keep us busy, so just do whatever you want to as long as it's quiet and you stay in your seat."

* * *

 **The Cafeteria**

It was lunch time for the teenagers and they were all happy that none of the new teachers had assigned homework. The day had been a breeze so far.

"Here ya go." Kyle said setting the tray on the table. Lunch is served, my lady."

Autumn grinned up at him as he kissed her forehead.

Awe, how sweet. The whore of Angel Grove finally settled on one guy. It's about time! I never thought she'd let Nick out of her bed."

Autumn spun around to see who had spoken. In Front of her was that same bitch from the mall.

"Jezebel."

"The one and only. I'm the queen bee around here and you're the fugly slut of Angel Grove."

Autumn got up and gave the queen bee a cold look. "Please Bitch. Why would I ever want Nina's sloppy seconds? I'm in a solid committed relationship with Kyle and I'll never want to be with anyone else. The only slut here, is you."

Jezebel scowled and attempted to slap her down, but Autumn was ready and caught her wrist. "Really, you should just go back to your manwhore. You're a pathetic bully and not really worth my time."

She shoved Jezebel hard and stood with her arms crossed in fronts of her chest. When Jezebel was gone, she exhaled harshly and returned to her seat. Kyle immediately folded her into his chest. "You okay Corazon?"

Autumn sighed softly and leaned against his chest. "Yeah, I'm good. Just give me a second."

Breathe with me, Corazon." He whispered softly in her ear. After a second, she did and within a few minutes, she was calm again and she sat up frowning at her fries.

"Well crap, they're cold now."

Kyle chuckled and kissed her neck. "It's fine, my Lady Dragon, I'll go get some more."

She nodded and then looked up at him. "Can we go eat somewhere else? Like outside?"

"Hey, we both have room in the vehicles." Leif said, "And the VW has a built in table."

Needless to say, the rest of their lunch period was spent out of doors.

* * *

They were now in their last class of the day, American History, when their teacher spoke up. Mr. Husker was a gentle giant that towered over everyone. He was just over six feet tall and had an impressive yet trimmed beard. He was covered in tattoos that were easily visible under his white button-down shirt. A bold and colorful tribute to his country and the US Army were visible on both forearms. Though they weren't prominently displayed, Kyle could see the metal chain that no doubt held dog tags.

"Could I have everyone's attention." He said in a gruff voice.

When he saw that all eyes were on him, he continued. "Now that I have your attention, I'm to lead you all to the gym. We've got a first day assembly in about twenty minutes and attendance is mandatory. Once the assembly is over, you are all free to leave. Tomorrow, the real work starts!"

* * *

The moment that they approached the gym that was located right next to the locker rooms, she sensed her boyfriend's anxiety. His hands were trembling and she didn't need to glance at him to know his eyes were wide.

As they approached the gym, she didn't go in like the other students. Instead, she led him out the door that led to the soccer field and to the bleachers. Once there, they sat on the lowest level and she waited out his panic.

"What can I do to banish this fear?"

Kyle opened his eyes again and looked over at her. "I don't know, Corazon. I can't stop the panic, it comes at me all on its own!"

"I wonder if completing the bond would help…"

Kyle shook his head. "No. Not yet. Even if I was ready to complete it, where could we go? I'm not about to cash in your card under our parent's roof and your first time should _not_ be in the back of the car. You're my mate and you deserve better than that."

Autumn gave him an exasperated look. "Don't I get a say in this too?"

Kyle gave her a long look. "Please Corazon, don't fight me on this! I'm trying to do what's best for you."

Autumn felt her temper rising to the surface. "By letting yourself suffer? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Kyle looked up at her sharply. Completely shocked by her sudden use of profanity.

"We're one Kyle DeSantos! Do you think I couldn't feel your panic at the mention of that blasted gym? I may not be a full blooded Ninjetti but I can still feel bits of your emotions." Autumn got up and walked away, just a little bit and strove to find her calm center. She loved her mate, but he could be such a bonehead at times!

Kyle blew out a breath and cursed himself inwardly. She wasn't kidding! He could feel her emotions too; she was seriously aggravated with him. As a full blooded descendant, his connection to her was stronger. If he had to describe it, he would say that his connection to her was like listening to an iPod with really cheap earphones. He knew what song was playing, but the sound quality sucked.

He really hated that feeling!

After taking a minute to calm himself, he got up and walked over to his girlfriend who was leaning against the rail.

He didn't try to touch her, but instead stood next to her. Blowing out a breath he spoke. "I'm sorry Corazon. It was a sexist thing to say, and I forgot to take your opinion into account."

She looked at him. "I understand that you don't want to complete the bond at the manor, but what if doing so opens the way to counteract your anxiety. Like being able to somehow push calm across our link and prevent a full blown panic attack?"

Kyle nodded. "That does have merit, but if we've already got soul fusion, then shouldn't we be able to achieve that kind of thing without completing the bond?"

Autumn sighed. "I don't know. That kind of thing wasn't exactly in the handbook

Kyle nodded with a smirk. "Your sarcasm is adorable."

"Feel better now?" She retorted.

"Yeah." He paused and took a deep breath. "I doubt that we'll be able to hold off on completing the bond until this school year is done, not with the both of us being under the gun. I'd be really surprised if they have some kind of crap planned to try and destroy us."

Autumn nodded. "Yeah, they're not going to leave us alone after attacking us at the mall; that would be really anticlimactic." She paused and looked at her mate. "I think we should, as a couple, try and come up with some temporary shelter that we can set up away from the manor while still remaining on the property. "

"We're not doing it in a pup tent." Kyle said looking at her.

"Duh, of course not." Autumn deadpanned. "Something a little more private and sound proof."

"And with a real bed." Kyle added. "I want this to be good for you…for us."

They were face to face now…and looking into each other's eyes. Kyle's eyes asked for her permission and she gave it.

The leaned into each other and kissed slowly.

* * *

Conner stood off to the side watching them and letting them have their moment. He'd followed them at a distance and witnessed the whole thing. When they kissed, he turned his back, giving them some privacy.

When the moment was over, he turned to see both kids looking at him.

* * *

Conner, what are you doing here?" Kyle blurted out.

Their older friend turned back around and raised a brow at them. "Hey, be glad it's me and not your teacher. Mr. Husker was on his way out here until I headed him off." The teens watched as their mentor came closer to them.

"To answer your question, I'm the new assistant coach for the soccer team. It's a temporary position for now, while the other guy is on paternity leave." He smirked at their shocked faces. "Hey, if that neo-nazi bastard can get a job here, so can I. The only difference is that I did this legally. Your principle contacted me about two weeks ago, asking if I wouldn't mind filling in until the other guy is back." He grinned at him. "I figured that with a baby on the way, I could use the extra money."

Kyle and Autumn had so many questions!

Connor noticed and held up his hands. "I'll let you in on everything later. For now, we need to get back to the gym before Mr. Husker really starts to wonder where you went. I promise that I'll be close by."

That softly spoken promise felt suddenly reassuring as they were led back to the gym.

Kyle was fidgety the whole time as his anxiety returned. Autumn held his hand the entire time and leaned into him just enough to help him relax; it worked beautifully.

The moment they were done, Autumn got him out of there as fast as she could. ved as he reached the VW bus.

Neither of them really remembered much of what was said during the rally, but they were pretty sure their friends would fill them in once they left this blasted place.

Kyle was never so relieved as when Leif and Sapphire appeared. Neither of them said anything as the engine turned over and the bus left the parking lot.

It was a hell of a first day.

* * *

So, what do you all think of the first day of school? Feel free to leave me your thoughts in the reviews!

Next up, more surprises that night with some familiar faces!


	8. Down the Road We Go!

**It's pretty late at night, but I wanted to give you guys a chapter. I won't leave much here as far as author's notes go. Just know that there are no real warnings for this chapter as far as I can remember. There are some surprises this chapter along with some new faces.**

 **Please remember that this is pure fiction and I own nothing but the OCs and Plot.**

 **Um, I think that's it for the AN...**

 **Read on, and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

Inside _The Moon Racer_

Kyle was laying on the back seat with his head in Autumn's lap. His eyes were closed, but he breathed deeply and let his mate sooth him. Though he had calmed down since his panic attack, he still felt worn down.

Autumn closed her eyes and breathed deep, matching her heartbeat to his. Looking deep inside herself, she quietly searched for her inner dragon. Only a moment passed before the spirit dragon appeared before her.

" _I know your distress, Lady Dragon."_

" _What can I do to help him?" she asked._

" _We are one spirit. What worries you, worries me."_

" _Then help me help him!"_

 _I am you and you are me; we are one. I know only what you do."_

 _Great…_

 _"I'm am **not** some cosmic being. I am you. What I **do** know is that there is a wall to the path between you and Kyle. It separates you. Once you break it down, then you can help him._

" _By completing the bond?"_

 _The dragon shrugged in a very human like way. "I don't know."_

Autumn opened her eyes feeling frustrated. She was still no closer to finding a way to help her mate…

She looked down at Kyle and realized that he'd been watching her the whole time. "Corazon, are you okay?"

Autumn nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"No you're not." Kyle retorted with a frown; a moment later, he pointed to his chest and then at hers.

"Hey you guys, we're here." Lief said from the front seat. "We'll just give you a moment alone."

"Thanks," Kyle said as he slowly sat up. When they were alone, Kyle took Autumn's hand in his own.

"I could feel everything. What's going on?"

* * *

When they emerged from the van, Kyle and Autumn noticed that their friends were gone and in their place were the parents. The moment they appeared Rocky waved at them with a smirk. "Finally come up for air?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "As if I'd tell you."

Autumn chuckled and shook her head. "Kyle had a panic attack at school today and we were discussing ways to prevent it happening again."

At her words, Rocky's smirk vanished and one of worry replaced it. "You okay, Son?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah. The Principle held the school assembly in the gym….it was my first time going near to the locker room since…"

Rocky blew out a breath. "Did you guys come up with any ideas?"

Kyle shook his head. "Not yet, Dad. It's hard to fight against your own mind."

"Yeah, I figured as much." A moment passed and then the parents exchanged glances with each other.

Autumn immediately sensed a change in their mood. "What's going on?"

"We need to have a talk, Sweetie." Tanya answered. "Before you guys freak out, it's nothing bad or wrong. It's just a slight adjustment that's going to take some getting used to. More for us than for you."

Autumn exchanged a glance with Kyle before looking back at her parents. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it's something that's been in the works for some time." Rocky answered. "I knew this day would come, ever since you sold your gaming equipment to get Autumn her ring…right around the time of your soul fusion."

"What about it?" Kyle asked feeling uneasy. "Could you please just spit it out?"

"Well, we've decided that it's time to get you kids a space of your own." Adam answered with a grimace. "You guys have been released from your vows and with our friends from KO-35 coming to stay with us for the foreseeable future, space is getting more limited."

Kyle looked at his mate and then at his dad. "That's a little out of left field. You got us a house?"

"It's only a temporary space." Rocky reassured him. "What becomes your permanent housing is for you and Autumn to decide. We're not stepping on your toes when it comes to that."

Kyle looked at Autumn for her reaction. She was looking at Adam. "Dad, this is really sudden, I don't know what to say? Why didn't you tell us about this weeks ago?"

"Because Andros is an important political figure on KO-35." Adam answered. "For having as many Ranger Teams on Earth as we do, we are seriously lacking in the planetary defense sector."

"There is no Embassy for KO-35 here on Earth and we are literally the only place on Earth aside from Wes and Jen's house with adequate security." Rocky continued. "We don't think Andros has any political enemies, but we're not taking any chances. To keep things secure, we had to keep everything a secret and that meant figuring out where to house everyone."

Adam looked really uncomfortable as he finished. "It's not like you guys weren't heading this way eventually. We're just giving you guys some privacy; with that being said, I still want you guys to eat with us in the manor and not hide yourselves away."

A second passed and then Kyle suddenly had a moment of clarity. He looked his parents in the eye and instantly read between the lines. A moment later he looked at Adam and saw the silent warning in his eyes and only nodded at him.

"So, what's the new place look like?"

Rocky snorted softly. "Come and check it out for yourselves."

* * *

Kyle inhaled the smoky scents of the BBQ and his eyes strayed to the cookout as they walked passed it; his mouth was watering.

Rocky smirked at his son in complete understanding. "I promise Son, this won't take long and then you can chow down on burgers and brats."

Autumn smirked at her boyfriend. "Like father, like son."

Damn, right." Rocky replied with a proud grin as they approached the farthest cleared area of the property. As they passed by Conner and Kira's cottage, Tris ran to them on three legs to greet them with wagging butt and happy yips.

Kyle knelt down and scratched behind her ears. "Hey Tris, shouldn't you be at the cookout begging for food right about now?"

A moment later Kira walked out with a sleepy smile.

"Usually, by now, she would" Kira said as she stifled a yawn. "But she's also my shadow, so where I go, she goes."

"Have a good nap?" Tanya asked her.

Kira nodded. "Yep. But I woke up to that amazing smell of Barbeque. I hope those teenagers saved some food for me. "She paused and gently rubbed her belly. "Apparently that's what my little orca is craving."

"I'm way ahead of you, Rockstar." Conner said as he sprinted towards her. "I already have a plate set aside for you."

Kira grinned at him as he swept her up in his arms. "Anytime, Babe."

"Jock, we talked about this." Kira deadpanned. "Don't piss off a pregnant woman!"

Just as Conner smirked and stepped closer to his wife, Rocky cleared his throat. "Guys, this is adorable, but…" he trailed off as Connor grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry guys. We'll just go now…" Kira said as she took her husband's hand and walked away from them.

Adam shook his head at the pair of lovers and then looked at the teens. "Alright, moving on."

The travel trailer wasn't too far from the cottage; it was just far enough away from the trailer to give some privacy to the insatiable lovers while preserving the innocence of the newer neighbors.

It wasn't a newer model, but it was still in great condition. "It's got enough room for your friends if they want to camp out in the bunks." Adam said softly. "Go check it out."

Kyle looked at Autumn, "It'd be kind of awkward to try and carry you up those stairs; so, ladies first."

Autumn grinned at him and then walked up the steps. Kyle was just behind her as she walked through the door.

The inside was more spacious then either teen pictured. The RV wasn't as big as this space was, at least not as far as Autumn could tell. It was the same kind of set up as the vehicle they'd road tripped in, but this time, it held some promise.

A TV had been installed in the small cubby hole and….

"Oh my gosh, they bought me a new gaming system?" Kyle said as he knelt down in front of the new X-box."

Autumn smiled as she continued on to the back area which held a bed. She turned and sat down on the mattress. She could feel eyes on her and she looked up to see Kyle staring at her. Their bond, though still a little fuzzy flared to life and she felt his emotions; a mixture of desire and calm.

Getting up, she walked to him and he drew her against him. Instantly, her lips were on hers and his hands sought out the 'safe' area of her body. Mindful that their parents were outside, they kept the kiss short.

Kyle gave her a breathless smile. "Do you think we can make this place our home?"

Autumn nodded, just as breathless. "Don't think you're getting nookie tonight. I fully intend to hold out until we have no choice."

"It shouldn't have to be that way, Corazon. I don't want our first time to happen out of desperation. It should be on our terms, when we're ready."

"And when do you expect that to be?" Autumn asked as she bit her lip.

Kyle shook his head. "I wish it could be now. But not with our parents standing right outside.

That reminder was the bucket of cold water thrown on them.

Autumn pecked his lips. "So, let's check out the rest of our space." She didn't give him a chance to reply as she turned and walked the few steps to the bunk area. Just before the alcove where the bunk beds were situated there was a door leading two a very small shower and bathroom area.

"I think I actually prefer the kiddie bathroom." Kyle commented.

"I don't mind it…. I've never had privacy like this." Autumn murmured to herself.

With those words, a subtle shift took place in his mate.

"All you had to do was ask me." Kyle replied in a soft voice. "I'm your mate. It's my job to."

Autumn gasped an turned to him, blushing profusely. "Oh crap, I didn't mean to say that out loud."

Kyle chuckled, brushing her hair back from her face. "Even if you hadn't said it, I would have felt it. I'm a dude, but it would have been pretty easy to hear what you don't say."

They shared another kiss and when they parted, they took a deep breath.

"We better get out there and thank our parents…before they think we've really christened this place."

Kyle chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Good idea…but I do want to revisit this topic tonight. We're mates and this is just another step for us."

"We will, but first." She paused and looked towards the door.

"Yeah." Kyle said with grin.

When they came out, the parents looked up at them expectantly.

"So, what do you think?" Rocky asked. "You were in there for a while."

We love it, Dad. We were just taking it all in."

"We can't wait to move in."

* * *

The moment that Kyle and Autumn's parental units shooed them away, they rest of the crew walked to the back of the manor and found themselves at a cookout. Everyone was there, including some new faces.

This new group of faces sat at a picnic table talking amongst themselves and picking at their food. Well, almost all of them. The only male in the group was stuffing his face with a fully loaded hamburger. He swallowed his food as the teens approached them and wiped his face with a napkin.

Leif took charge. "So, you guys are the new arrivals?"

The older boy nodded. "Yeah, I'm Ryder of the house of Zane. We've only been here a few hours." Ryder looked much like his father with the silver hair that was mussed up like he didn't really care how messy it looked. He had a tall stature and it was obvious that he worked out a lot. He'd ditched his space clothes and only wore a white tank top and blue jeans which rode low on his hips. He wore comfy flip flops on his feet and a pair of sunglasses on his head. His whole look screamed _party boy!_

The goth boy nodded. "I see." He exhaled softly. "I'm Leif and this is my girlfriend, Sapphire." He stepped back and pointed at the guys behind him. "This is Ranook and Katsume. Our ringleaders, Kyle and Autumn are having some time with their parents.

Ryder nodded and gestured to the young girl next to him. "This is my younger sister, Elara." The girl he gestured to had to be about nine or ten. She had soft brown hair with blonde streaks in it and a slight stature. Her hair was pulled back in a French braid and she wore pale purple t-shirt and blue jean capris. She wore the same kind of flip-flops and around her waist was a utility belt with a few spacy looking tools attached to it.

"Then there's our cousins, Titania and Miranda of the house of Andros."

There could be no doubt whom their parents were. The twin girls had the same unique hair color as their father, and had Ashley's eyes, but that's where the similarities ended. While both were dressed up in normal earth clothes, their styles were different. One teen was a natural beauty and she carried herself with a quiet dignity and real happiness radiated out of her. The reason for that happiness, Rowan, walked up to them with his own plate piled high with food.

The other twin was just as beautiful, though she was a little more relaxed, both in the clothes she wore and her character. While one sister looked like she'd bought her clothes at JC Penny, the younger one looked like she bought her clothes at Hot Topic. In addition to this, the latter twin gave them a winning smile and she had an inquisitive look about her, like she was eager to learn everything she could about life on Earth.

"It's nice to meet you," Leif said as Sapphire was seated. He leaned down to her ear. "The usual?"

Sapphire nodded. "Yep. The usual, and extra potato salad."

"Coming right up!"

When he was gone, talk resumed. "So, you're an interesting group of Earth people." Ryder said in curiosity. "I wasn't expecting such diversity."

Sapphire shrugged. "It's true, but we didn't start like this. At first, Leif and I were just following orders from our Queen. Kyle and Autumn were nice enough to invite us to join them to the Christmas Dance; we've been friends ever since."

"Christmas; that's something I've been wondering about." Miranda said. "Dad sad we're here just in time for the Holiday Season. Does Christmas last a whole season?"

"Not exactly." Sapphire said. "The holiday season is made up of four holidays. It starts with Halloween night, where everyone dresses up in costumes and the kids go around begging for candy, then we have Thanksgiving which is a time to feast and be thankful for what we have, and then Christmas which is more like a month long holiday full of fun more feasting and gift giving, and then it ends not long after with New Years which is the one night everyone can stay up past midnight to cheer on the new year."

"So much partying!" Miranda exclaimed. "How do you guy not get worn out?"

"We learn to pace ourselves." Ranook broke in. "There's no rule that says you can't take breaks every now and again. I can't imagine having to make it through one constant four- month celebration."

"So, this Halloween; how can everyone be okay with kids begging for candy?" Titania asked.

"It's just one of the Halloween traditions besides carving pumpkins, dressing up, visiting haunted houses and generally having fun getting scared. The begging for candy thing is mostly for kids and their chaperones, but the whole night is fun for everyone."

"Wait, so this takes place at night?" Ryder asked.

Lief nodded. "Yep, that's part of the fun. A lot of people decorate their houses with lights and things that glow in the dark and you can't see that stuff during the day. To keep safe, we all wear glowing pendants and bracelets so we can see each other. Everyone goes out in groups and we stick together. We get as much candy as we can until around nine at night and then we all come home and sleep happy."

"Stellar!" Miranda exclaimed. "But that's still a month away. What do we do until then?"

"Go to school." Sapphire replied "And there's the harvest festival later this month. That's always lots of fun."

"Another party?" Ryder asked in surprise.

"Not so much a party as it is a city event. The proceeds generally go to charities like the food bank and Toys for Tots. The holiday season would be hard for families without them. This way, no one gets left out of the fun."

"Yeah, I would have never gotten toys if it weren't for Toys For Tots." Katsume piped up. "I always got excited when the Marines would show up with presents for us."

That made everyone get quiet.

Ryder cocked his head to the side. "You mean…why would you need to ask for charity?"

"Until a few weeks ago, I was a ward of the state, but now that Trent is my guardian, well, I might get a chance at a real Christmas…all that stuff I hear about in those Christmas carols I hear on the radio."

"You can count on it." Leif said. "We're going to check everything off the list!"

* * *

 **So, thoughts on this chapter?**

 **At first I wasn't sure if I was going to do this, but after a lot of thought, I decided that doing this would benefit the series in the long run. That being said, I hope to get some positive feedback from this chapter.**

 **Thanks in advance!**


	9. Challenges

**Well, here we go again.**

 **Some chapters flow easily while others are a struggle. This chapter is was a struggle and it's taken me awhile to get through it. The next few chapters will probably be the same way as they are the meat of the story.**

 **However, it may be that the next part comes easily. We'll just have to see.**

 **Now, onto the chapter notes: This is where the action picks up so strap in. There's also some angsty teenage language here. (I know, it's a shocker!)**

 **Other than that, I hope you all enjoy and leave some love!**

* * *

 **One week into the new school year…**

Katsume walked down the hall with his crew. Thankfully, after that first day, things had been calm to a point. The second day, they'd been introduced to Mr. Hatche; he was the Government Teacher and he was an asshole.

Thankfully, he had been left alone for now.

Stopping in front of his locker, he felt eyes on him. He turned his head slightly and saw, out of the corner of his eye. That hot chick, Elisa had been looking at him, but quickly averted his gaze. He loved that she watched him, she was gorgeous to him. Sure, many might think that her obvious disability would cancel out her attractiveness.

Today she wore a pretty halter top and some hip huggers along with some chunky sandals. His artist's eyes appreciated her beauty and the rest of him appreciated the sweet body and the small hint of bare skin he could see. Smiling to himself, he turned back to his locker, opened the metal door and stowed his bag inside.

He looked around for his notebook and saw it on the top shelf. He reached up to get it and when he did, he felt his hoodie ride up and then a soft gasp. He quickly grabbed the notebook and immediately pulled his hoodie back into place and looked around to see that same babe blushing and looking away.

He hid his smile as he closed the metal door and spun the dial. As he turned to walk towards his friends, he heard a loud clatter and a gasp. Spinning around, he saw Elisa on the ground again. Her shoulders shook slightly as she lay on the ground.

He didn't hesitate as he walked towards her. Kneeling down, he asked. "Hey, Elisa are you okay?"

Elisa exhaled loudly. "Not this time, my knees gave out and gravity took over."

Katsume grinned at her and held out his hand. "Yep, Gravity is a cruel mistress. Come on, I'll help you up."

Elisa didn't look up at him as she pushed herself up on her hands into a kneeling position. Katsume cocked his head to the side. Do you need me to walk you to the nurse or anything?"

"No, I just need a chance to recover my dignity."

He chuckled softly and still waited in front of her. A moment later, she exhaled softly and accepted his hand. As he gently helped her up, Ranook passed him the crutches. When she was once again vertical he handed over her back pack.

"You good to go?" he asked again

She gave him a bright smile. "Thanks for the assist."

"No problem. I'll see you in homeroom."

She rushed away as fast as her crutches could take her. Katsume looked after her in amusement before turning back to his crew.

They all looked at him in amusement before Kyle spoke up. "So, we going to homeroom now?"

Katsume only hitched his pack higher on his shoulder. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

It didn't take them long to get to homeroom. As they walked in and took their seats, they saw that there was a new face in the room; he was a tall lanky teenager with spiky black hair, and a confident visage. He wore just the basic white vneck tshirt tucked into a pair of distressed jeans over which was a belt with a decorative buckle. Over his t-shirt, he wore a faded black denim jacket and a skull pendant.

He sat looking relaxed at a desk in the back of the room with his black mesh backpack at his feet. In front of him was a magazine with a bunch of guitars featured on the page.

As they took their seats, Kyle noticed that the TV was on and the purple and yellow school logo spun in the background. A few minutes passed before the tardy bell rang and Miss Pauline walked to the front of the class.

Katsume looked at her closely noticing her subtle limp and the weary look on her face. Something was terribly wrong.

"Miss Pauline, are you okay?" He found himself asking.

The teacher nodded. "Yeah, I rolled my ankle a few minutes ago. I'll be okay in a few minutes. Meanwhile, I need to take up roll call before the special video starts. Now, where…" She trailed off as she took notice of the new face. She looked at her list and then the proverbial light went off in her head. "Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry that I didn't introduce you first."

"Really, Ma'am, it's okay. I don't like being the center of attention."

The teacher gave him a look and then nodded. "Very well, Mr. Skullovitch. I'll spare you the humiliation."

Taking a deep breath, she moved on to call the roll, though a slight hitch in her breath was noticeable.

Warning bells were going off in his head and Katsume glanced at Ranook who was also taking notice of their teacher. They shared a glance and then their attention shifted as the TV went live.

The next thing they saw was Principle Matthews sitting at his desk with a smile on his face.

"Good Morning students. We've only got one more day to go before the weekend starts, but I need you guys to listen up for the following announcements and then you can go back to goofing off in Homeroom."

That was what Katsume and everyone around him loved about the principle. He knew shenanigans were going on in what everyone considered a freebee class and as long as there were no violent disturbances, he was cool with it.

"I know that not everyone made it to the school assembly so I'll refresh you guys before I continue." He took a deep breath. "Basically, I acknowledged that this last year was not one that anyone likes to remember. There was a lot of bad vibes spread around this school and it was infested with bad teachers and violence.

Over the summer, the federal government went through everyone one working here from the old principle to the janitors. The slate has been wiped clean and only good teachers were allowed to comeback this year and I can assure you with all confidence that any trouble that happens this year would only come from you students and I hope that we can avoid any thing more than the usual scuffles."

"With that being said, I want to issue a challenge to you all. Everyone saw the news report after the TSA incident. The Power Rangers, who protect us from alien threats, came to our rescue, got rid of the infestation of hatred have done their part. While our city is still recovering, I think we can do our part to purge the ugliness from this school." He paused for a moment and then continued.

"You guys are going to be adults soon and the future of our city is your hands. I know you guys all have your own lives but, for those of you who are willing, I'm challenging you to brainstorm over the weekend and do some research into ways that you can help our school and by extension, our city. A week from now, I'm going to hold an open forum after school in the cafeteria and I want you guys to bring your ideas and present them to your fellow students and the staff. If the ideas are viable, we may just be able to make words into actions."

"With all that being said, I want you all to know that I have faith in everyone of you. Make today count and do your best with all you have been given."

"Have a good weekend everyone!"

The chatter resumed the moment the screen turned off. Katsume turned to his crew and saw that Kyle and Autumn looked surprised. They were looking at each other and seemed to be having a silent conversation.

He looked back at their teacher wondering if she was going to say anything about the message from the principle. But she only sat her desk with a stormy look on her face.

The rest of home room went much the same way and before he knew it, it was time for their first class.

* * *

When it was time for lunch, the crew walked into the cafeteria. It was a pretty standard set up. The line of the Ala Cart was just a little shorter than the regular lunch line. The noise level was a dull roar and off to the side, Kyle spotted Conner standing in the corner.

"Well, I suddenly feel better now." Kyle murmured to Autumn.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's Conner's day to play lunchroom monitor." He answered gesturing to where their friend stood watching over the lunch room.

"Still doesn't mean I want to stay in here for lunch." Autumn said sounding dubious. "Just cause Conner is here doesn't mean I want to dangle myself in front of those bullies."

"You have nothing to worry about," Kyle said in her ear. "You're more than a match for them."

Autumn snorted. "Yep, and that would mean a one-way trip to detention that I don't feel like going to today."

"Good point." Kyle conceded. He blew out a breath. "Okay, so we go out to the van again." He looked over at Lief for confirmation and saw him talking to Katsume.

"She's a pretty cool chick. She likes to play D&D on the weekends, she's a master with ceramics and she's totally into you."

"How do you know that?" katsume asked sounding skeptical.

"I'm a goth. We're the group that no one pays attention to. Someone could spill their darkest secrets and we'd hear every word. Elisa and her group of friends are pretty tight knit. But her bestie, Maredith is a loud talker. She was giving her a pep talk during Biology class today."

Katsume chuckled to himself. "Is this you attempting to be my wingman?"

"Never thought I'd say it, but yes." Lief nodded. "She's totally into you and you're into her, before long, you'll be making eyes at each other and playing footsie, just get going already!"

"Okay, okay. Just never use the word footsie around me again." Katsume said as he started to walk and then looked towards Kyle. "Unless of course you need me to stick with you guys."

"You're kidding right?" Kyle said with a grin. "I'm sure I can survive lunch hour without you. Get going already. Shoo!"

Katsume grinned and shook his head. "I have the strangest friends…"

He heard them laughing behind him as he approached Elisa who had just reached the cashier. Hey waited for her to pay for her meal and then said softly. "Hey Elisa, could you use help with your tray?"

She snapped her head up to see him standing there. "Oh my gosh, where did you come from?"

"Just got here. If it's okay, I'd like to eat with you."

"I..I think I'd like that…and if you don't mind, I could use some help."

"It's my pleasure." He said as he took her tray and walked beside her.

When they were seated, she looked at him. "What made you want to sit with me? I mean, don't you want to sit with your own group?"

Katsume smiled at her. "I want to get to know you better and sitting with you at lunch seemed to be the best way to do that. As for my crew, they don't need me around unless something big goes down."

"You're protecting Kyle De Santos." She said softly.

Katsume grimaced. "Not really. Kyle is a powerful fighter, so he doesn't need protection. It more like we watch each other's back. I wasn't here for the attack last year, but since I live with them at the manor, I've been clued in. If I was in him, I'd feel better having friends surrounding me too."

"That's really cool." Elisa said with a smile. "So they're your family now?"

"Well, I wouldn't really know, since I've never had a family before. But we do watch out for each other." He paused. "What about you? Leif said you had a group too…that you play Dungeons and Dragons with?"

"Yeah, I'm a nerd. Playing D&D is the only time I feel powerful and they don't treat me like a cripple."

Katsume grinned at her and nodded. "So, who are you when you're on your campaigns?"

"I'm the half elf rogue, Olanys. Not a paladin but not an evil witch either. I won't bore you with details, but I've had to carry the team more than once."

Kastume grinned when he saw how her eyes lit up.

"And what about your family? Do you have one?"

Elisa grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I have two big brothers. Ones currently serving in the Navy. And the other one is…on the football team." She trailed off suddenly going wide-eyed. "If he sees me talking with guy, he's going to go all protective!"

"Hey, it's okay." Katsume rushed to reassure her. "This is just you and me eating lunch in the cafeteria."

"It won't take long for her to get all needy."

Elisa's face flushed as she looked up at the rude person that interrupted. A second later Katsume looked up frowning.

"Excuse me, but I'm having a conversation with Elisa and I'm sure it has _nothing_ to do with you."

The dude threw his hands in the air. "Hey I'm just giving you a fair warning. She's a needy chick and really annoying. So desperate to get a boyfriend. Not surprising with her being so crippled."

Katsume shot up out of his seat. "And what makes you think I give two shits about your opinion? Only a loser would talk shit about a lady in public."

"And what would you know about it, Street Rat?"

"A lot more than you, I guess. But I won't waste time trying to explain it to you. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to continue having lunch with Elis-" He didn't get to finish his sentence because a the bully swung at him. Katsume was a fast learner and he put up arms in defense and then in the next second, shoved him away with all his might.

The bully fell into the students behind him and looked up at him with a startled look.

"What, did you really expect me to cower in fear? You picked the wrong dude."

The moment he turned back, to sit down another voice spoke up behind him.

"What's going on here?"

Katsume looked up to see that asshole teacher behind him. He swore under his breath and then got back up to face Mr. Hatch.

"It was self defense. This jerk was-"

"Yeah, heard it all before. That's a detention for you."

"Not so fast, Mr. Hatch." Conner said as he approached. "I saw the whole thing go down. Mr. Shen acted in self defense. Mr. Line backer was the only one to swing."

"Doesn't matter. We have a zero-tolerance policy here. No violence on school grounds."

Conner wasn't backing down. "This is bogus. He never even swung his fist. If you put Mr. Shen in detention, then you better put the other guy in too. Otherwise, you're part of the problem."

The look on Mr. Hatch's face revealed it all. He knew he was cornered as he sighed. "Fine, then the both of you get detention."

"Are you kidding me!" The bully asked incredulously. "I have practice after school."

"You know what, this is getting old." Katsume broke in. "This school is just as lame as the last one. I'll take the detention, if you'll just walk away."

The teacher frowned at Katsume."I don't like your attitude Street Rat."

Conner's eyes narrowed and he stepped closer. "Enough with the slurs. This kid is my family and his dad's my brother and I have zero problem with calling him in right now."

"You do that, but I'm not changing my mind. Mr. Shen has still has detention." Sneering at Conner, Mr. Hatch walked off.

With the confrontation over, Conner looked back at Katsume and his wide eyed lunch date.

"I'm sorry to end this lunch thing, but I need to pull away Mr. Shen for a few minutes." He said this in a kind voice and Elisa only nodded. "Yeah, no problem. I've lost my appetite anyway."

"I'm sorry Elisa." Katsume said in a soft voice.

She didn't even look at him as he walked away.

* * *

Katsume followed Conner out of the cafeteria and down a quiet hallway.

"So, that didn't go very smoothly." Conner started.

"Yeah, this school is no different than the one in LA." Katsume answered looking angry.

"All schools are like this." Conner replied. "Just ask Ethan."

"Look, I appreciate you going to the mat for me, but I can take my licks. I'm not letting Mr. douche bag get the best of me."

Conner gave him an exasperated look. "That's just the thing. It was a little over a year ago that I needed help from an adult. The difference now is that I'm in a position to help. What that asshat said to you was wrong and-"

"But I _am_ a street rat!"Katsume blurted out.

"No your _not_." Conner objected. "Not anymore and you need to get that idea out of your head. Whatever you were back in LA ended the moment Trent came to get you. He's my brother in all but blood and so is Ethan. Kira is my wife and we'd all go the mat for you. What happened in there was wrong and if I can't get you out of detention than I can at least get that idiot in there reprimanded and before you go off on some angsty teenager tirade, I'm gonna remind you that not all families are blood relatives. Trent is my brother though we're different backgrounds, and he is your guardian, that makes you family to me, and I'll always fight for my family."

Katsume looked at him wide-eyed.

"Don't give me the look of surprise; now, why don't you go join your friends for what's left of lunch hour. I'm gonna go call Trent and see what he wants to do about this."

Saying this, he drew himself up and took on a look of authority. "Run along Mr. Shen."

Surprisingly, Katsume suddenly felt lighter and he nodded. "Yes, Mr. True-Heart." Then he took off back to the lunch area.

When he was gone, Conner sighed and pulled out his phone. Trent was going to be furious.

* * *

Gabrielle looked up as Trent stalked through the door to her office. He looked furious and yet she could tell that he was not angry with her, but rather at what had happened to his kid.

In the back of her mind, she thought he never looked so sexy, like dark brooding archangel as he smoothly sat down in the seat opposite her desk. Thankfully, she was able to cover it up with a professional mask that she had cultivated over the years.

"Thanks for seeing me so soon. What's going to happen to my son…charge." He corrected himself.

"I reviewed the security cam footage and Mr. True-Heart and I had a brief talk. Though Katsume only acted in self defense, he shoved the bully away and that also counts as fighting. This school has a zero tolerance policy so I'm pretty sure that Mr. Matthews will have to allow the detention to go through."

"The bully will get a detention too, though under the circumstances, I will recommend that they serve it on different days to prevent any further conflict."

Trent grimaced at that but nodded.

"And what about Mr. Hatch? He used hate speech towards Katsume. I'm not going to let that fly. It's one thing if it comes from a peer, but it's different coming from a staff member."

"And your absolutely right. We don't tolerate it towards anyone." Gabrielle paused and took a sip from her coffee cup. Sitting back, she continued. "That ball is in your court. What do you want to about that?"

Trent was quiet as he considered that question. "I think I'll start with a one on one talk with the principle. If I try and talk to Mr. Hatch, I may not be able to control myself. Katsume has been through enough abuse from people in authority. I can't let this keep happening." He said this last part to himself, though Gabrielle heard it clearly.

He looked up. "I want to pull him out of that class, I'm sure there must be some way to do that."

"Between you and me, I'm not even sure how he was hired here. I haven't liked that man from the moment I met him at that staff meeting. He gives off such negative vibes."

Trent nodded. "I was trying to avoid it, but if we can't get a handle on things, I'll have to pull him out of school completely. Private school is not out of the picture."

"Please don't." Katsume said quietly from the doorway. "I can handle this."

Trent looked up to see his foster son and Conner in the doorway.

"Mr. Shen, please have a seat." She looked up at Conner, "Thank you Mr. True-heart. We can take it from here. Though I'm sure that Mr. Matthews will probably call you into the office when we speak with him."

"I'll be there." Was all he said as he walked away.

After closing the door, they got down to business.

"So, I spoke with Mr. True-Heart and got his side, but I want to hear from you. What started the fight?"

"I was just having some lunch with Elisa and this guy started talking crap about her. I was only defending her and then he swung at me. He just wouldn't leave her alone. He swung at me and I put my hands up to block and then shoved him away."

Trent grimaced as he understood what had happened. Katsume was simply defending a girl's honor. That was something he approved of; sadly he was also going to punished for doing so.

"So, you'll be serving a detention after school today. I checked the roster and it looks like Miss Pauline will be handling that today, so it should be a breeze."

Katsume looked up sharply at the name but he didn't say anything.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Trent asked him.

The teen sighed in resignation. "What is there to say? I screwed up and now I'm paying for it. Next time, I'll just him beat me up."

 _Yep, there was the melodramatic response he'd been waiting for._

"No you won't." Trent answered softly. "I'm going to have a talk with the principle. We're going to find a solution."

Katusme didn't dare talk back, but he wasn't really willing to believe that things could get better.

He would get through detention and then check on Elisa. He'd enjoyed their talk and he liked her…like a lot. He hoped she was ok.

He really wanted to get to know her more…and maybe ask her on a date. One where there were no asshole bullies to harass them.

* * *

 **So, you guys still with me?**

 **I've been working on this chapter since the early morning hours and I'm exhausted. So, I'm gonna sign off for now and see you all next chapter. Leave me your thoughts on this chapter!**


	10. Suspicions

**I'm back! I hope everyone had a Spook-Tacular Halloween!**

 **This chapter comes with a minor trigger and foul language warning that deals with domestic abuse. (But seriously, all of you wonderful people who have followed me all this time should know by now how I write my fics.) For any newcomers, I welcome you to the insanity!**

 **Things are going to be intense, so buckle up and hang on tight!**

 **Read on, and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me. "Trent all but snarled. "You're the principle! Surely you have some influence to remove that _pig_."

Principle Matthews kept calm though he totally agreed with Trent. "He has tenure, so I can't personally fire him."

"How in the hell did he get through the FBI Vetting? That was _hate speech_ as far as I'm concerned."

The principle held up in hands as if to fend him off. "I agree with you one hundred percent, but all I can really do is report him to the school board and hope that he gets suspended; you can also file a complaint. The other problem is that the security cam doesn't pick up audio and you're going to need audio proof of the incident or Mr. Hatch can claim that it's hearsay. It'll be his word against Katsume's."

Trent nodded. "I can do that. For now, can you at least assign the teens separate detentions. I don't want any more conflicts between them."

Principle Matthews nodded an affirmative. That's possible, but you need to understand that even if we seperate them, it's not going to end the conflict. It's a terrible truth, but once someone labels a student, the name usually sticks. As much as I wish that I could just a wave a wand and make the bullying stop, it's not going to happen. It's only going to stop if those kids stand up for each other and learn to respect each other."

Trent took a deep breath, and finally sat down in the chair.

"You wouldn't know this, but before he came here, he lived in LA and he was being tormented by his probation officer. The day I arrived in LA to retrieve him, he was brought into the ER after attempted suicide. He slit his wrists to escape from his bully and I had to come to his rescue and fend that officer off. If I have to, I'll come in and handle things with Mr. Hatch and it won't be pretty."

Principle Matthews nodded solemnly. "I understand your anger and I won't stand in your way, but you should keep in mind, what could happen if your publicly threaten one of the staff members. He could easily file a suit against you and cause all kinds of trouble. If you're going to act against Mr. Hatche, think it through and choose your course of actions carefully."

Trent nodded. "Ok. So what do I need to next? Is there some slip to sign?"

Principle Matthews nodded and opened the slender file on his desk. He sighed heavily as he pulled out the paper and slid it across the desk.

"Sign on the line. This will unfortunately go on his permanent file."

"I understand." Trent answered with a frown. "Do I need to be here to pick Katsume up afterwards?

"That is up to you guys. Once he's done his time in detention, he's in the wind."

Trent shook his head and signed the slip. He hated this whole thing. Only in this day and age could a kid get in trouble for defending himself.

* * *

Katsume walked into study hall and slid into the chair at the same table as his friends.

"So, how much trouble are you in?" Kyle asked in a whisper.

"Just another detention. It's not my first so I should be ok."

Kyle shook his head. "This is so screwed up. You didn't do anything wrong!"

"No worries. I'm not even dreading this."

Ranook gave him a skeptical look. "You're crazy."

"No I'm not. Miss Pauline is overseeing detention today. I think she may be in trouble and this is the perfect opportunity to observe her and see if my suspicions are founded."

Rannok nodded. "That makes sense. But what are you going to do if you're right?"

"I guess we tell someone who can help."

* * *

Katsume walked into History class and found that his love interest was sitting in the back of the class keeping to herself. The class hasn't filled up yet, so he chose the desk in front of hers.

"Hey, are you ok?"

She exhaled harshly and then looked up at him. "I just got humiliated by my ex in front of you, and now you probably hate me. I don't even know why you're still talking to me."

Katsume smiled at her. "Because for all I know, he could have just been talking out of his ass and totally lying."

She looked up at him sharply.

Katsume pressed on. "I wasn't there for any of that, so I don't know one way or the other what happened between you two. I just know I want to get to know you more."

"And you're willing to be seen with me?"

Katsume sighed softly. "Look around the room. All these empty desks and I still chose the one next to you."

That was their defining moment.

She looked like she didn't know what to say. So, she only sighed. "Ok, I guess we could do with a reboot." She looked again at him. "I hope you know what you're signing up for."

Katsume grinned at her. "I'm not scared."

In the next moment, the bell rang and they all settled in for the class. They were all careful to pay attention and take notes. Katsume, took notes the best he could, but his eyes kept straying to the pretty girl in front of him.

Thankfully, the teacher didn't seem to notice or if he did, he didn't say anything. When the final bell rang, he said goodbye to Elisa and walked out of the room with his crew.

When they were a ways down the hall, Ranook took off his pendant and handed it over to Katsume. "Here, there's a micro camera on the front. It's wireless and the footage will go to my laptop. It'll record everything. Make sure you get a good spot without any obstruction."

Katsume slipped it over his head. "Got it." He looked up at his friends. "You guys just gonna wait around for me?"

Ranook nodded. "Yeah, well, they are. I'm craving some burgers, so I might go get some fast food while the others wait. What can I pick up for you?"

"Just get me a bacon cheeseburger with extra pickles and some curly fries and a sprite."

"Got it. See 'ya after detention."

* * *

They parted ways and he headed to detention which turned out to be homeroom. He slid into his seat and saw that Ms. Pauline wasn't at her desk just yet.

A couple other students were there and were talking amongst themselves, so he chose an open seat and pulled out his drawing pad and pencil.

When Ms Pauline did walk in, she was very quiet and when she looked up, her eyes were puffy. Still in a strong voice, she addressed them all.

"Your detention starts now. I suggest you use this time to study and or do something quiet. Cause trouble in here, you'll be suspended. When an hour is up, you'll be free to go."

After ticking off her list of students, she sat down at her desk and began to do her own quiet work.

The whole time, Katsume sketched and soon realized that it was Elisa's face looking back at him. He looked up at the teacher and saw her flexing her wrist and wincing in pain. He looked back down at his drawing and began adding elf ears and her soft strands of hair. By the time he'd begun to add shadows to his drawing he heard her cellphone go off.

This time Ms. Pauline was looking at her phone with a look of trepidation in her eyes. She sighed heavily and went back to grading papers, though she looked really distracted.

Still Katsume kept sketching, though his gut told him that his suspicions were correct. He couldn't do anything about it. Before he knew it, detention was over and he was released along with the others and he took his time leaving. He walked out the door as Ms. Pauline stood up.

As he walked out, he saw a man waiting in the hallway and alarm bells went off in his head. The man just looked…. _mean._

He walked around the corner as casually as he could and stopped when he was out of sight. It took a few minutes and then the trouble started.

A loud smack was heard followed by a gasp.

Katsume snuck around the corner and peaked around the door. Ms. Pauline was sitting back in her chair with tears streaming down her face. Fear was etched across her face as he towered over her.

"You stupid little bitch. Where's my lunch woman!"

She cowered lower in her seat. "I left it in the oven. It was already for you, all you had to do was heat it up!"

"You burned it on purpose! Do you want that stupid mutt to die? I have no problem putting it down."

Her eyes widened in fear! "No, don't hurt him. I..I'll make it again if you just let me."

"You better not burn it this time, or it's all over for the dog."

Ok….ok, I'll do whatever you want! Just leave Tanker alone, please!"

"I'll see you at home. Don't make me wait."

Katsume's eyes widened at what he'd heard. Just as he turned to walked away, he was roughly grabbed and thrown to the ground and he momentarily saw stars.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to spy on people, boy?"

 _God his breath smelled awful._

The older man yanked him to his feet threw him agaisnt the seconds his hands were wrapped around his throat where and he was squeezing hard. It didn't take long for the teen to start blacking out.

Then as suddenly as it had happened, a red blur appeared, and the older man was yanked away. Katsume fell to the floor coughing harshly. In the next second, Ranook was there and helping his friend sit against the wall.

In the meantime, Conner had the jerk against the wall.

"Get off me!" The man snarled.

Conner was relentless. "No! You started this shit when you were choking the life out of Mr. Shen. Now, I'm finishing it. For starters what the fuck are you doing attacking a teacher?"

"She's my bitch and what happens is none of your business."

"No, you're on school property and we have a zero tolerance policy. You attacked a student and that's a big mistake. That also means that you've broken the law." Conner didn't look away from his prey. "Ranook, call 911 and tell them we have a violent criminal threatening the school."

"What a pussy, calling the cops to defend you."

Conner saw red and he could feel the latent power still flowing through his veins. "You have no idea how powerful I am. You're only lucky that I'm doing this the legal way. I could destroy you right now, but I'd like to keep my job."

The man laughed and Conner snapped. He kneed him in the stomach and the man dropped to the floor with the breath knocked out of him.

"I can take it from here." Gabrielle said as she walked up to him with a pair of handcuffs. "You look like you need a moment."

When she had handcuffed him, he walked a short way down the hallway and fought to calm down. It didn't take long for the cops to show up along with an ambulance.

They took him into custody and the paramedics tended to both Ms. Pauline and Katsume.

The teacher was crying softly as every bruise was uncovered.

In the meantime, Officer Tesla who was all lean muscle, was busy taking Conner's statement.

"Mr. True-Heart, is there anything else you want to add?"

Conner shook his head. "No, I'm just a teaching assistant here. I came to check up on Mr. Shen after what happened during lunch and saw this man choking him. Katsume's foster parent is like a brother to me. We're family in all but blood."

During this time, the rest of the crew arrived, and they sat with Katsume. He took off the pendant and handed it to Ranook. "I think we got it all."

"Yeah, we did. It's all on my laptop."

"All of what? The police officer asked as he walked over to them. Kyle tensed up having an officer so close to him.

It didn't go unnoticed. But the cop had more pressing matters.

Ranook stood to his feet. "We got the attack on camera." He pointed to his necklace. We thought something was going on with Ms. Pauline." He went on to explaining in detail what the plan had been.

"So, you set all this up, out of concern for your teacher?" The officer gave them a skeptical look.

"We only thought something might be wrong, but we didn't have any proof. Too many people get away with BS because of lack of evidence. My uncle is a lawyer, he's told me too many stories."

"I can't argue with that. If you want to help your friend, I'll need that recording."

Ranook nodded and held out a black flash drive. "I made my own copy so this can't magically disappear."

Officer Tesla frowned at him. "I know you have your doubts about us, but with the exception of officer Kelmen, we're a whole new police department. It's a clean slate and we're trying to make things better."

"Prove it." Kyle said challengingly.

"I will." The officer said in the same tone. Then he turned back to Conner. "I need you to drive Mr. Shen to the ER for him to be checked out and so we can also gather evidence. You want this case against Mr. Kline to be airtight; evidence is everything."

"Yeah, we'll follow you to the ER."

* * *

 **Angel Grove Hospital**

Trent waited tensely with Ethan for Conner to show up with Katsume. It didn't take long for that to happen. By the time Conner showed up, Trent had already filled out the paperwork for his charge and showed them the shiny insurance card.

This made the intake smooth and as soon Conner arrived with Katsume, he was given his medical bracelet and taken into be examined.

Trent stood next to the examination table looking like a concerned parent. The ER doctor looked at the medical record. "It says here that you were listed as suicidal; do you still feel like committing suicide?'

Katsume shook his head. "No, I was only trying to get away from that idiot cop. I have an awesome circle of friends now and they keep me level."

"Good, that's wonderful. Now, let me take a closer look." After gingerly feeling his neck, he stood back. "Other than the bruising on your neck, I don't think there's much to worry about, but I'd like to send you for a CAT scan and an X-Ray, just to make absolutely sure that you're ok."

Katsume nodded and soon was wheeled away in a wheelchair to get those pictures taken. When it was just Trent, he sank into the chair and closed his eyes.

He wouldn't admit it, but getting that call from Conner had frightened him. No one wants to get a call that their kid has been hurt foster or not. When he'd been called, he'd been on the phone with Dr. Oliver. Now on top of his son being targeted by a bigoted teacher, he'd almost been choked to death by a violent criminal.

"Hey, could you use some company?"

Trent looked up to see Connor standing by the curtain.

"Yeah, they're just taking Katsume back for some x-rays." A moment later, his shoulders slumped and he put his head in his hands. "I'm way out of my depth on this. This isn't exactly something that can be destroyed with a bio-zord."

"If only, right?" Conner said as he sat in the other chair.

Thanks for helping Katsume out today."

"Don't mention it. I've got your back; we all do. I think Katsume is going to be okay. That douche bag that was choking him didn't have much strength to it. I barely broke a sweat pinning him against the wall."

"I'd put my money on him being one of those lazy idiots that think makes the woman do all the work." Trent mused.

That's pretty close to it." Officer Tesla said to him as he walked in. "I just interviewed Ms. Pauline. She has a dog at home, and that was the bargaining chip. He kept threatening the dog to keep her in line.

"I'm not surprised." Connor replied. "I've read stories like that online. Women unwilling to go into a shelter for fear the dog will be killed. Most places won't allow women to take shelter if there is a pet in tow."

"And that's the dilemma we have." Officer Tesla replied. "She's freaking out about her dog being taken away. Normally we'd have boarded it at a local shelter, but there's just no room right now and this is something that needs to be dealt with right away. Angel Grove is not that big of a city, and we really don't have the resources to take her dog in right now.

Officer Kelmen speaks highly of you and I know from him that you have a big pack of dogs at your mansion, she has an Australian shepherd and I have no idea what kind of condition the dog is in. I don't think it would fair well at a shelter. They need a lot of exercise to keep from going crazy. We're willing to compensate for this, but we need an answer so that Pauline can settle down."

Trent sighed. "Keep your money." He looked at Conner for confirmation and he was nodding. Yeah, we don't flaunt it, but we have plenty of money in our own rights. I just need permission from the actual owners of the manor."

The officer nodded. "I'll just give you a few minutes."

Thank you officer Tesla. When the officer had left the room, Conner pulled out his cellphone and hit the speed dial.

* * *

It didn't take more than a second for Adam to agree.

" _Yeah, what's one more dog. Keep us updated."_

Ms. Pauline had tears streaming down her face. "I can't believe this? You'll take in my baby?"

"Yeah, he'll be safe with us. Conner reassured her. "We already have a pack of our own, so we're well equipped to care for him until you can take him back home." He pulled out a pen and wrote his number as well as the number to the manor on the memo pad by the bed. "There are always one or two people home, so, he'll never be alone."

"Thank you."

"You just focus on getting better. I'm sure your furry baby will be anxious to get back to you."

"Ok." She said as she laid back and closed her eyes as the morphine took over.

When she was good and asleep, Connor headed back to where the police officer waited.

"Let's get going."

* * *

"You got very lucky, Mr. Shen. We didn't see any signs of injury on your x-rays and scans. As soon as we sign the release papers, you can leave; if you start to experience any symptoms, come on back and see me."

It took all of ten minutes for the papers to be signed and then he was walking out the door with Trent next to him. "A lot happened today, are you going to be okay?"

Katsume looked at his foster father. "Yeah, I'm alright. And at least Elisa is still talking to me."

"That girl you defended?" Trent asked him.

"Yeah, after we got done in the councilors office, I talked to her again. We're good now."

Trent smiled to himself. Katsume was going to be just fine.

* * *

 **So, what did y'all think? I want to thank you all in advance for the wonderful reviews you have left. It's very encouraging!**


	11. Shaking It Off

**So, I know the last chapter was heavy, but it had to happen. The drama is far from over, but consider this chapter and the next to be an attempt to lighten things up. There's not much in the way of a trigger warning. Some minor language is the extent of it and it's brief.**

 **Other that that, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and eat lots of food! For those of you people crazy enough to shop on Black Friday: Be careful and remember that a crock pot is not worth losing your life over.**

 **I'm not going to be posting another chapter till after Thanksgiving, so I'll see you all when the dust settles.**

 **Anyway, I'll let you guys get to it! Read on and I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **The Manor**

"So, what happened, exactly?" Andros asked as Ashley ran a scanner over Katsume's neck. The Asian teen sat topless on a kitchen stool as the older woman fussed over him.

Trent leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. He was still feeling angry over what had happened though he was doing his best to hide it.

Conner and Ethan exchanged looks as they waited for Ashley to complete her examination. Trent was destined for a workout at the dojo whether he wanted to or not. That look on his face was evidence of angry stress; getting an intense workout would help him relax and clear his mind.

"I got a detention." Katsume answered in a resigned voice. "I was just eating lunch with Elisa, this really pretty girl and that jerk started butting in and smack talking her. I stood up to him and got in trouble after shoving him into the lunch table after he tried to punch me."

"And that led to you getting choked?" Andros asked softly.

Katsume shook his head. "No, that was just a coincidence. I was concerned that our homeroom teacher was being hurt at home. That's why I didn't fight the detention when I found out that she was in charge of it. Ranook gave me his pendant camera and I used it to see if I could get evidence. Nobody is going to believe the word of a Street Rat."

Trent frowned deeper at his use of the derogatory term.

Ashley frowned at him but said nothing as she read the results of the scan.

"Well, everything looks fine. You've got bruising, but that's to be expected given what happened."

Katsume nodded. "Can I go now? I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Yeah." Ashley answered as she put the scanner back in the case. "I'm all done here."

"Thanks." Before Trent could stop him, Katsume walked out of the double doors and towards the camper where his friends were.

* * *

Conner looked at his brother. "Trent, come with us. We're going to the dojo."

Trent huffed. "You really think that kicking my ass is going to make all this go away?"

Conner nodded, "You bet it will. I've been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt. Getting all the anger out will help you think better. Don't make me call Dr. O."

Andros raised an eyebrow.

"I heard my name." Tommy said as he walked into the room.

Trent whipped his head around. "Dr. O! Didn't expect to see you so early into the school year."

"This takes priority." Tommy said as he walked towards his teammate. "I know you're a capable man, but this is a case of a teacher bullying a student. You're way out of your element in that department. We all risked our lives to clean up Angel Grove from the TSA, I'll be damned if we let an idiot teacher screw all that up by being an asshat. Besides, that kid has been through enough already."

"Tommy, it's good to see you again." Andros said as he was pulled in for a manly hug. "I wish it wasn't under these kinds of circumstances…again."

Tommy sighed in resignation. "I'd honestly be shocked if we met here for pleasant circumstances. If there's one thing that I've learned from wearing the armor is that evil never takes a break, not even dick head teachers."

"Dr. O. I don't understand; what could possibly be done to stop him?"

Tommy looked at his former student. "We'll tackle that later. For now, let's go to the dojo."

Andros smirked. "You mind if I joined in? It's been a while since I was in a battle royale."

"Yep, the more the merrier. Let's go."

* * *

 **The Trailer**

Katsume had expected to just slip into his bunk in the travel trailer and rest, but those plans went up in smoke when he saw his friends and the newcomers sitting around the newly bought fire pit. It had been a gift from Conner and Kira-their version of a housewarming present.

Currently they were sitting around it in plastic patio chairs roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. Katsume sat down on the only chair left.

"Hey, dude, you good?" Kyle asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm bruised, but alive…and hungry."

"The other burger we got you was cold and gross, so I made you a fresh one along with fresh cut fries. They're both in the oven being kept warm. You know where the condiments are."

"Awesome!" was all Katsume said as he walked up into the trailer and closed the screen door.

"So, what was today's lesson about?" Leif asked as talk resumed.

"Movies, but they seemed kind of cheesy." Ryder answered. "Nothing like the holofilms Dad showed us."

Kyle looked up at him. "Which earth films did they show you? I'm guessing they started you out with either old time movies or anything rated G."

"Yeah, they started out with something called Cinderella and it was moving drawings."

"That's as kid friendly as you can get, short of Winnie the Pooh."

"What's a pooh?" Ryder asked in confusion.

"It's stuffed bear with a honey addiction. There's other characters in his adventures, but his movies are considered the most kid friendly movies.

"Unless you consider the Teletubbies." Sapphire added.

"What are…Teletubbies?" Ryder asked again.

Autumn glared at her friend. "We do not SPEAK of those creepy characters!"

Sapphire snickered.

"There are so many other kiddie movies you could bring up, and you go with THEM?" Autumn added with feigned anger.

Sapphire laughed harder and Leif only shook his head.

"I'm not sure I want to know what those things are." Miranda said with a wrinkled nose.

"I promise you, there are better movies to watch, all sorted by genre, ratings, and age appropriateness. Between the six of us, we've got all kinds of experience in films."

"What about horror movies?" Miranda asked again. "Our parents only glossed over those…they wouldn't go into details. Are they really that bad?"

"Well, that's the whole other end of the rainbow." Ranook stated. "You have to be really careful what franchise you start out with. Those kinds of movies have to be eased into and they're not for everyone. They go from cheesy to giving you straight up nightmares…you'll never sleep with the lights off again."

"And you guys enjoy that kind of thing? Titania asked incredulously.

Ranook nodded with a wry grin. "It's all about the adrenaline rush and proving that you're not a coward; like I said, it's not for everyone. All of them are rated "R" and to see them in theaters, you have to be 18 years old or with an adult."

"And how many have you seen?" Ryder asked them in a tone of disbelief.

"I've sampled a few of them, but the references to them are everywhere. I don't even have to watch the movies to know what they're about. Freddy Kruger kills you in your dreams, Jason Voorhees comes after you with a machete, Michael Myers is pretty much just a homicidal murderer that's out to kill his relatives. There are other series, but those are the basic three."

Titania shuddered. "Ugh. Could we talk about other films and stuff? That's creeping me out!"

Kyle nodded with a grin. "Okay, so what else do you want to know about?"

"The mall." Titania answered. "We went there with Mom when we got here, but only got the basic clothes and shoes. There are so many stores in there! What's so secret about Victoria and why are there pictures of naked women on the walls? I know you guys don't walk around in just bras and underwear?"

"Yeah, that did seem kind of odd…and those women didn't seem real…they were so skinny!" Ryder added.

Autumn blew out a breath. "That's a loaded question. Victoria's Secret is the place some of us go to buy the sexier bras and panties. It only caters to the women who are really thin. That's where Mom took me to get some new underwear sets for my birthday. It's an okay store." She looked at Ryder. "Those women on the wall are the Victoria Secret Angels…or models. And you're right about them not looking real. I can guarantee that no women looks like that without starving herself. Those pictures have been edited heavily to match what their idea of sexy is."

"And what is lingerie?" Miranda asked. It's a weird word.

At this, Leif smirked. "That's what women wear to entice their mate into having sex with them. It's not really necessary, but hey, if it makes her feel beautiful, then I'm all for it."

Kyle eyed his friend and he winked back. _Yeah, they'd taken that final step._

"Ok, so why does that Spencer's shop smell funny? What's in there?"

At that Leif snickered and Sapphire smacked his arm.

"Well, that store is an acquired taste. I get some of my jewelry and I know my mate here has gone in there to get a new wallet once in a while, but the rest of it is pretty much replicas of male and female genitalia. It's the place where one might go and get party favors for a bachelor or bachelorette party, if you get my meaning."

"You're joking." Titania said in shock. "They allow that stuff in a public place?"

Kyle shrugged. "Yeah, but they're careful to keep that stuff in the back of the store. You don't see it unless you actually go in. If that's not what your taste is, you can probably go to Hot Topic and get the same kinds of wallets and necklaces and you won't see male and female parts in there."

"That place is a lot cooler and it's full of pop culture and band stuff." Leif broke in. "It's kind of a limbo between rock and goth stuff. I shop there occasionally, but for our style, we go to the dark side of the mall."

"Yeah, I noticed the diversity between you guys." Ryder pointed out. "I thought it might be rude to ask you guys about that."

"It's not." Leif answered nonchalantly. "Don't sweat it."

* * *

 **About an hour later**

 **The Spa House**

Trent sat in the heated waters of the Jacuzzi and let the massaging jets work his lower back.

The match hadn't lasted very long with all the men pushing him harder and harder to resist their attacks. He hadn't realized just out of practice he was.

"You've gotten sloppy." Tommy remarked. "It shouldn't have been that easy to beat you."

Trent shrugged. "I admit it. I was at school and Martial Arts aren't as big where I was, and I was busy screwing around with a girl that didn't feel the same way about me. I learned a lot from Art School, but everything else was a waste of time."

Tommy nodded thoughtfully. "You've got a lot on your plate right now; I can see how worn out you are. That's why I came here, you need a time out to get your head together."

"Um, I don't know if you guy's noticed. but I'm a foster parent now and my kid is being targeted by an asshole teacher. He actually calls himself a 'Street Rat'; he needs me to handle this problem."

"Don't hide behind him." Conner said bluntly. "You can't use that excuse now that I'm working at the school. He'll be fine for a week."

"You've been a wreck since you got here." Rocky added. "Drinking beer and stuffing your face with food isn't the answer."

"That's rich coming from you." Trent retorted with while rolling his eyes.

"It's all about moderation." Rocky answered calmly. "I enjoy my food and drink, but I don't overdo it, and everything is balanced with vigorous exercise. I burn off all the food I eat."

"The point is, that you can't help Katsume out in your current condition." Tommy added. "When your heart,, body and spirit are out of balance, you're a train wreck waiting to happen. That's why we're acting now before you derail."

At this, Trent deflated, and Tommy gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's going to be okay; we've all been there. Pack a bag when you get back to your room; we leave for the cabin early tomorrow morning."

After this, they all got quiet and simply enjoyed the warm bubbling water and each other's company.

After an hour passed, they began to get out put their outer clothes on and drift up to their rooms in the manor.

Connor, Ethan and Trent were the last to leave.

"I don't like the idea of leaving Katsume alone. He's been through too much already."

"I'll keep my eyes on him; you've got my word." Connor said in a solemn voice. "I can't keep that asshole away from him, but if anything happens to him, we'll get damn good evidence. Then we'll make that jerk pay and he'll never teach in Angel Grove again."

Ethan looked between them. "How come I've never heard about this problem before today?"

"Because it just happened." Trent answered. "It's only the first week of school and already there's trouble. If it was just a basic asshole teacher, I would have left it alone, but when he starts verbally abusing my kid, then it's a whole new kind of battle."

Ethan nodded. "We've got the weekend, I'll set Katsume up with a mini cam and update the other kid's software. If we're going to nail this guy, then they'll need some new tech."

Trent grinned at his brother seeing his eyes light up at the mention of technology. He'd only been a Cranston for a month, but he was already mirroring the original blue ranger.

"By Monday, things will be all set up. He tries to go after Katsume, we'll nail that guy to the wall."

* * *

 **The Movie Room**

So, is this what it's like in your earth cinemas?" Miranda asked as she looked at the mini snack bar. Kyle had prepared enough popcorn for everyone and set up the toppings in their customized shakers. Microwave popcorn was frowned upon by both Kyle and Rocky. It always tasted better when it was made on the stove top.

No, this is better." Kyle answered her. Here, there are no previews to sit through, no crying babies, and no people with body order. The only reason we'd go to the theater is if a really good movie was out and we don't want to wait for it to come out on DVD."

"Here, we have a huge selection of movies to choose from and they've all been digitized and cataloged." Autumn added. "This is the best place for watching the action movies. We've got surround sound here and not a single window for light to escape in…and we've got uber comfortable seats to enjoy them from. This is a step up from the cinemas."

After everyone was seated and the lights were dimmed, Kyle sat at the little monitor in the back scrolling through the movie selections.

"So, what are we watching?" Autumn asked. "What do we have that would start them off easy?"

"Well, movies with gore and horror are out and so are any of the Disney animated movies. Rule out chick flicks and we're down to Sci-Fi and a few cult classics." He paused and clicked on a link pulling up one that seemed to leap out of in front of them.

"Ooh, that's a good one." Autumn said with a grin. "It's perfect!"

Sapphire turned around in her chair. "So, what will it be?"

Autumn grinned at her. "The Princess Bride."

"But what about the R.O.U.S's?" Sapphire gasped with mock fear.

When everyone burst into laughter, the Space Teens just looked confused.

Don't worry about it," Autumn said in a breathless voice. "You'll understand by the end of the movie. Just sit back and enjoy!"

* * *

By the end of the movie, as Wesley and Buttercup kissed, everyone was in good spirits, and the Space Teens were breathless from all the laughter. Katsume was laughing too and the incident from earlier was temporarily forgotten.

At the stairway on the main floor, the teens separated with the Space Teens heading for the kid floor and Katsume followed Kyle and Autumn to their camper. Ranook and the Goth couple went to their homes for the night. They'd meet up again the next morning for a day of fun, showing the space teens around the town and just generally having fun. The fun center was definitely on the itinerary.

For now, in his bunk compartment, he stripped down to his sleep shorts, turned off the light, and climbed up into his bunk and slid beneath the sheets and blankets. The cooler air coming from the partially open window felt amazing against his bare skin.

As he lay in the bed, with his bed covers pulled up to his waist, he looked out those same windows to see the night sky above him. He could never have done this in the city, not with all the light pollution. But out here, he gazed at the stars and his mind wandered.

Before long, the sounds of the night lulled him to sleep.

* * *

 **So, what did you all think? Leave me your comments below!**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	12. Teens Just Wanna Have Some Fun

**Yep, I'm back in business. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!**

 **This chapter comes with a profanity warning and some warm fuzzy moments. It's a filler chapter, but I hope you'll all like it anyway and leave some reviews when you're done.**

 **Things will pick up next chapter so, please bear with me while I cleanse the palate.**

* * *

It was dawn.

Kyle woke up feeling a dull spasm of pain in his stomach. He lifted his head and searched the dark room for his mate; she wasn't there.

He rubbed his eyes and blinked away the sleepiness; that's when he saw that the bathroom light was on.

He got up from their bed and moved with a cat's grace over to the door.

"Autumn? Are you okay, Corazon?"

He heard her curse softly.

"I'm sorry, Kyle. I didn't mean for you to notice…"

Kyle understood in the next moment. This was not the first time he felt this combination of emotions from her, especially her embarrassment.

"We're one, in almost every way possible; I know the drill by now. Go ahead and enjoy your shower, I'll be back in here before you know it."

He yawned and walked back to their room and flipped on the lights. He glanced at their bed and saw that soiled sheets. It wasn't the first time that this had happened, so it didn't even phase him, he simply stripped the sheets and put them in a pile on the floor.

After throwing on a tank top and his sandals, he picked up the sheets and walked over to the manor.

The lights were on…

That's when he remembered hearing about the impromptu trip.

He walked nonchalantly into the manor and headed straight for the laundry room.

"Kyle, what are you doing up so early?" He heard his mom say as he put the sheets in the washer.

"Autumn's not feeling her best right now. I need to get her supplies and some chocolate milk. If I had time, I'd make her a smoothie."

Aisha caught on immediately. "Kyle, baby. Let me handle this, the last time you tried to take care of things like this, it didn't work out too well. Why don't you go get her stuff from the girl closet, there's also some Midol in the medicine cabinet."

"Thanks Mom."

* * *

Rocky filled the ice chest with assorted sodas and waters while Adam sat drinking coffee. Trent sat sleepily at the table with his own mug, as he attempted to wake up. No one really said anything to each other as they waited for Tommy to make his appearance.

When Kyle walked into the kitchen with a box of tampons in a bag and headed for the medicine cabinet, they were momentarily confused. Adam put down his coffee mug and tilted his head, as Kyle paused as a momentary wince flashed across his face.

When the moment passed and he pulled out a bottle of pain meds, he understood immediately.

He rose from the table and walked over to the first aid cabinet and pulled out a heating pad. "Here, this should help her. She cramps pretty bad the first day or so."

"Yeah, I noticed." He said as he took a deep breath. "That's how I figured out what was happening."

Adam looked at him curiously. "Are you already to that point? Feeling the sympathy pains?"

Kyle frowned. "Yeah, but it's more like minor discomfort. I know it's worse for her, and I felt her emotional distress, but it's still pretty muted."

"She's in the shower right now, but I told her I'd bring her what she needs."

Adam gave him a strange look but stood back as he put the pills in his pocket and walked to the fridge, retrieving some chocolate milk and walking out the door.

"She's in good hands." Rocky commented.

"Yeah, I know." Adam answered. "It's just my first time really seeing it."

* * *

Kyle opened the door to the trailer. He glanced in the direction of Katsume's room and heard him still snoring softly. Walking back to their section, he pulled the privacy curtain aside and froze. Autumn's back was to him as she walked clutching her towel to her front. That towel was the only thing covering her up.

Sensing his presence she turned around and gave him a small smile. "Seen enough?"

Not even close, but it can wait till you feel more like yourself." He handed her the box of tampons. "Why don't you go finish up. I brought you some meds and some chocolate milk."

Kyle felt the love coming from her and only smiled. "I'll just go put more sheets on the bed."

"Thanks, Mi Amore."

When she turned back to the bathroom, Kyle went about fixing up the bed again. When she came out, she was wearing a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. By then the bed had been remade and a heating pad was already plugged in.

She gave him a soft smile as he pulled back the blanket for her. On the bedside table, as he'd promised her, was something for the pain. He said nothing as he opened the bottle and handed over the pills.

She started getting teary-eyed as she downed the pills and the chocolate milk. When she was done, he threw away the bottle for her and then slid into the bed after her.

With that little bit of drama over with, they fell asleep again.

* * *

 **Late morning**

The extra sleep had done wonders for her, and when they woke up again, she felt much better. Kyle kissed her in softly and then got up. "Lay here as long as you want, it's my turn to shower."

She kissed him back and then turned over, pulling their blanket with her. Kyle chuckled softly, grabbed a set of clean clothes and headed for the bathroom.

In the meantime, Katsume was already awake. He walked out of the trailer and to the manor. Just outside, on the patio was a man he didn't recognize.

An older dude dressed in a pair of blue-jeans and a red tank top sat on a floor cushion surrounded by the dog pack. Tanker, sat in front of him, and the strange man reached up slowly and scratched him behind the ears. Sitting forward on another comfortable piece of deck furniture, sat Billy who was talking quietly with him.

"So, what do you think?" he asked as Apollo rested his snout on his leg.

"He's scared and is looking for his human. He knows he's safe, but this dog's been traumatized. He's going to need some major TLC and probably a good bath and a medical check up. I'm assuming that the police have suggested a vet visit?"

Billy nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan for today. Conner and Kira are going to a doctor appointment and Trent is away at the male bonding retreat, so it falls to me to take him in."

"Is he going to be okay?" Katsume asked as both men looked up, sensing his presence.

"Cole, this is Katsume Shen. He's Trent's protégé." Billy said introducing them. "He found out by accident about our side jobs, but he's not a squealer. Katsume, this is Cole Evans, leader of the Wild Force team. He has the gift to sense animals' emotions."

Katsume nodded. "I'm not surprised about Tanker being traumatized. "I used to work for a animal rescue back in LA. I've seen more than one abused dog. That jerk that choked me yesterday put me in the Emergency Room, if he did that to me, I hate to think of what he did to him."

"You're not wrong." Cole answered him. "That's why I was asked to come and assess him."

They were quiet for a moment, and then Billy looked up at the trailer. "Are the lovebirds up yet?"

"I heard them moving around when I was getting out of the shower. I really don't want to know what they're getting up to. That's why I didn't take too much time getting dressed."

Billy nodded with a look of mirth on his face. "Well you better get into the kitchen. There's a feast going on. It smells amazing right now."

At the mention of food, Katsume's stomach growled.

He didn't say much else as he headed inside the manor.

* * *

The smell of bacon, biscuits and eggs hit him as he stepped through the doors. His mouth watered as the amazing smells assaulted his senses. Tanya grinned at him.

"I know that look, what can I get you?" Tanya asked as he sat down at the table.

"Everything."

Tanya shook her head in amusement before she loaded up his plate.

As he ate his food, he listened to the other's talking.

"So, what's the plan for today? Andros was asking.

Sapphire wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Not a lot. I think we all just need a day of fun after the first week of school. So, we're thinking of hitting up the mall for about an hour, and then go to Ashford's. They've got an epic laser tag arena and an extensive burrito bar and some mini golf. It's a good place to hang out!"

At the same moment, Kyle walked through the kitchen doors. Going over to the fridge, he pulled out another carton of chocolate milk. Once he was seated at the table, he drank from the bottle and then paused realizing everyone had gone quiet.

He looked up after wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Oh, sorry guys, did I miss something?"

Leif shrugged. "We were discussing our plans for the day. I know you hate the mall…" He trailed off as Kyle took another sip of the milk.

"Nah, I'm okay with that. So long as that ass…I mean, Nick doesn't show up to cause trouble with his idiot crew. I don't know how he always manages to show up when I'm there. It's almost like he's stalking me."

"Is this Nick, a bad guy?" Rider asked. "Is he going to be a problem?"

Kyle grimaced. "If he shows up today, he might be. I'd like to think that we scared him off last time, but he's an idiot and will try again. He just doesn't know when to stop."

"If you're uncomfortable with going, we can opt out of that for now." Rider asked.

"No, I'm okay. I'm not scared of him."

"We've got you," Leif said. "I'm not worried."

"Wait a second," Tanya said in disbelief. "Tell me this is not the same little shit that embarrassed my baby in class!"

"Please don't freak out." Kyle rushed to reassure her. "He's just a bully, we've got it handled; he can't try and harass us all he wants, but we'll just keep giving him beat downs."

"No, you shouldn't have to do that." Aisha added. "That little bastard tries anything again, you tell us. I will end him!"

"It's a non issue." Ranook said as he walked into the kitchen. We handled them without a problem last time."

"I'm still going to get a restraining order against him." The way that Tanya said it, no one dared to say anything more.

They ate in silence for a while before Autumn walked in the door. The moment she did, Kyle got up and pulled out a chair for her.

Autumn sat down in it and pecked his cheek.

Kyle grinned at her. "What can I get you to eat?"

* * *

 **Angel Grove Mall**

The cars pulled up to the mall and found good parking spots. Kyle lovingly helped his girlfriend out of the Moon Racer and when she started to trip, he steadied her.

They kissed again.

Katsume rolled his eyes and walked towards the entrance behind Ranook and the others.

He was happy for his friends, _but sheesh, he didn't want to watch them make out!_

When Autumn and Kyle came up for air, they grinned at each other.

They were also totally alone.

"I think we ran everyone off." He said not looking the least bit upset.

"I'm sorry, Kyle. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay. I love this cute cuddly part of you."

Autumn's smile faded. "I'm sorry that you have to do all of that this morning. Honestly this whole thing snuck up on me."

"Hey, don't worry about it." He said pulling her gently to his chest. "Being in love with you, means loving all of you, not just the times when you're feeling good."

When she looked up at him in confused, he added. "I felt everything you felt this morning, even though it was diluted for me." He said this as he put a hand on her abdomen. "I brought some Midol just in case. Why don't we get a chocolate smoothie when we're done with the shopping thing."

Autumn grinned and let him hold her close for another minute.

When the moment was over they walked over as a couple to the front entrance and joined their friends in the seating area.

* * *

 **About an hour later**

The group all sat together at the biggest table in the food court. Too large pizza's sat in the middle of the table and it was almost gone.

"So, this is what you teenagers eat when you hang out?" Titania asked.

"Most of the time, we do." It's got everything we could want. Dairy, Carbs. Meats…" Kyle trailed off as he saw a pretty girl with soft brown hair pulled back in a high ponytail walk up to them. He immediately recognized her as Joy Lynn from the student council. Her bright and cheerful disposition fit her name perfectly.

"Hi, Joy." Autumn said as she approached the table. "What's up?"

"Well, Principle Matthews is holding that after school meeting…ya know. About cleansing the school after all that nasty stuff that happened last year. I've been brainstorming all weekend and I had a few ideas to present to him." She paused and looked at the group. "Will you be attending it?"

Kyle shook his head. "I wasn't even thinking about it. I'm honestly surprised that no one's trying to sweep this all under the rug and forget it ever happened."

"Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it." Joy sad with a sad expression. Her eyes strayed to the tattoo on Kyle's arm. "We certainly don't want a repeat of that mess in our school." She looked up at them all again.

"I'm taking the principal's words and running with it. I know we have a school website, but I've set up a new Myspace Page for the school. It's the best media site since everyone is on it."

Leif and Sapphire were nodding. "Yeah, ok. What's the domain name?" The latter asked.

Joy smiled in relief and handed her a post-it note with the address on it. "Making the school better is up to everyone, so I hope you'll be there!" She said brightly and walked away with her pony tail swinging gently from left to right."

Kyle took a long draw from his chocolate smoothie.

"What's MySpace?" asked Miranda. "I know you have an information net here on Earth. Is MySpace a part of it?"

Ranook nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Social Media is still kind of novel idea, but it is picking up speed."

"Yeah, we're both on it." Sapphire added. "It's how we keep up with the rest of the coven. Our meeting times are posted on the group page."

"I haven't even been paying attention to online stuff." Kyle said thoughtfully. "We had so much drama going on and we've been training constantly. Social media just hasn't been a priority for either of us."

"Well, maybe we should get with the times." Autumn said thoughtfully. "But if we do, then I want us to make one together."

"You bet, Corazon." He said kissing the side of her head.

* * *

 **Ashford's**

"So, what's the point of this game?" Miranda asked as she put on the chest plate. "Is this like a combat exercise….to train future troops?"

Ranook smiled as he helped her with the side clasps. "No, this is just for fun. It's a fun competitive game. Kind of like Capture the Flag….or Dodge Ball."

"I don't know what that is." She said ruefully.

"It's a simple game. When you get into the arena, it's going to be dark and the walls are going to glow. All you gotta do is fire this laser gun at the other team, get as many hits as you can, and try to not get hit yourself. Stealth is an important skill in this combat game."

"Sounds like fun!"

"Oh it is."

Pretty soon, everyone was snapped into the gear and were all standing in the holding area.

Katsume groaned when he saw the kids of the opposing team grinning at him. "You're going down, Street Rat."

"Ya, know. I'm not a fan of that name. My real name is Katsume."

"Doesn't matter, you're stuck with it, Street Rat."

Katsume sighed and turned to look at the monitor as it came to life.

A woman with blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail appeared in a hologram. "Head's up, Players! My name is Commander Rainbow Fire and I'll be your training instructor on this combat exercise." She wore a pink sparkly tank top under her combat gear.

A second later a man around her age appeared next to her. He had short spiky hair and wore a red shirt under his armor. " I'm Commander Shih and the rules are simple. Once you hit a target, move on. It's against the rules to pin someone down and it won't be tolerated. Your equipment will be deactivated, and you will immediately be ejected from the arena."

Commander Rainbow Fire spoke again. "We're here to have fun so play nice and be safe. This match will run for 10 minutes; when time is up, the alarm will go off and the exit door will be opened for you. Leave the arena immediately so that the next group of players can have their chance to run the exercise."

A moment later, the lights went out and the walls began to glow.

"The exercise has started; godspeed soldiers!"

The door opened, and a siren went off.

"Come on, crew! Let's go!" Kyle said with a grin on his face.

They walked into the arena and the game was on!

The first five minutes were all fun and Katsume was really enjoying himself. He felt exhilarated as he hunted the people on the other team. He'd only been hit a few times and he knew he'd gotten more hits on the other team. He crouched low to the ground and moved towards the other team; and then he was knocked back on his butt. He looked up to see the guys that had threatened him pointing their laser guns on him.

"Got ya, Street rat." Then they fired on him one right after the other…pinning him.

Kyle saw it happening and walked over to him. He shoved the bigger guys away and stood between them and Katsume. "That's enough. Pinning people is against the rules."

"Pssh, how would they even know about it?"

"Because I'm standing right here." The bully turned around to see someone with a full face mask on. Only the eyes were visible and they looked annoyed.

She pulled out her laser and targeted the bully's armor. Immediately the chest plate was deactivated and the same happened to the other units and she pointed to the exit. "You've been ejected from the game. Get moving."

When they filed out, the soldier turned to see everyone watching her.

She gave them all a thumbs up and walked out of the arena and fun resumed.

* * *

 **20 minutes later…**

Kyle glanced at Katsume who hadn't said anything since they left the laser arena. They all sat around the table after making their burritos at the burrito bar. it was an epic layout with warm tortillas and a plethora of different meats, cheeses, and toppings.

"Katsume, are you okay?"

He didn't answer and his visage looked stormy.

"Katsume!" Kyle tried again.

"What?" the Asian teenager replied.

"Are you okay? You've been quiet for a while now. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Just wishing I could be someone other than 'the street rat'. I'm sick of that nickname!"

Kyle nodded and gave him a thoughtful look. "What can we do fix this situation?"

"Well, reincarnation is out since I didn't kill myself."

"And that's a good thing, suicide is never the answer." Ranook said giving him a look.

"What then, a makeover? Tried that already. And Trent would never adopt me, we don't know each other that well yet.

"Don't give up hope just yet." Autumn said. "It may very well happen one day."

Kyle was giving him a thoughtful look.

Katsume met his gaze. "What?"

"I think I might have an idea, but I need to talk to Conner first." A moment later, he looked down at his food. But first, we feast!"

* * *

 **So, for those of you who never watched Power Rangers Hyper Force, that last part was a loving nod to that awesome RPG. While finishing up this chapter, I realized that I had the perfect opportunity to have some fun and took advantage of it. For those of you that know exactly what I'm referring to, You're Welcome! *wink wink***

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave me some love. I will see you all next chapter!**

 **See you all then!**


	13. Becoming Miscreant

**Here we go. This chapter is a mixed bag, but things are starting to pick up.**

 **This chapter comes with a Profanity warning. Strap in and hold on tight!**

 **I guess that's about it. So have at it!**

* * *

 **Later that day**

 **Just outside the True-Heart house.**

* * *

"Connor, do you have a moment?" Kyle asked as he walked through Tris' dog area. Up on the porch, the father-to-be sat back with a half frozen bottled water and an impressive sandwich on a paper plate.

"Yeah, Kyle. Have a seat." He said gesturing to the other lawn chair. "I heard you guys were showing the space teens around; how'd that go?"

"That's kind of why I'm here."

"Go on." Conner answered, giving the teen his full attention.

"We ran into some trouble again. Katsume was targeted today and that stupid nickname came up again."

"You mean that whole Street Rat thing." Conner asked.

"Yeah. I know he's probably stuck with that nickname, but is there some kind of ritual we can do that could help him start over? Like tribal stuff?"

Conner took a bite of his sandwich along with a swig of water as he thought carefully.

"What good do you think it would do for him? That name may never go away."

"It's for him. He needs a reboot of some kind. A new start, and you're a shaman now. Isn't there anything you can do for him, to help him feel better?"

Conner gave Kyle a long look. "I'm understand what you want, and agree with you, but I have zero experience as a shaman. This is more my father's thing; I can have him come over and perform a cleansing on Katsume. Anything else, would be his thing."

"At least it's something." Kyle answered.

"Yep, now, why don't you guys go hang out and be teenagers for a while."

* * *

 **Jenkins Grocers**

So, apparently hanging out and being teens translated into going to the grocery store with a list from the moms.

It was just the main crew this time, sans Ranook that grabbed a cart and went about checking items off the list. Ranook wanted to spend some time with Miranda who was interested in seeing another movie in the basement.

"I think we need a name for our crew." Leif said as he walked hand in hand with his mate.

"What? Like the T-Birds?" Katsume asked as he began to pick through the banana cart.

"Like the 'who'?" Kyle asked in confusion.

Katsume sighed loudly. "Seriously, guys. We need to watch 'Grease' when we get home. You guys understand horror films but not the musicals? This is sad."

"You know, I could say the same about you." Kyle retorted. It's like the only films you know-"

"Came from being a in an orphanage? Katsume finished with a raised brow.

"Yeah, sorry." Kyle said softly.

Katsume shrugged. "Movies were a luxury for us and the only way we got hour hands on them was by shopping at Goodwill. For us, Grease was one of the movies we had access to."

When Kyle looked at him expectantly. He blew out a breath. "Look, there were three gangs in the movie. There were the T-Birds, which wore leather jackets like us. They were a crew of horny guys looking to get laid. The Pink Ladies were just like them, only they were girls. Then there were the Scorpions which were the rivals of the T-Birds."

Kyle nodded in understanding and then looked at Leif. "So, do you have any ideas?"

"No, not yet. I was just looking to brainstorm."

"Well, if it's that important for our group to have a name, then we probably shouldn't take it lightly. I think we all know how fast names stick."

Katsume grimaced but shook it off a moment later. "So, what's next on the list?"

"Um, a few gallons of milk." Katsume nodded and as they passed by the dairy case, Katsume walked over to the door and opened it. A moment later, a big shadow fell over him.

He grabbed two gallons and turned to see his most hated teacher standing over him.

Out of reflex, he backed away as fast as he could nearly dropping the gallons in his hands.

"Oh great. It' the dickwad teacher."

"You will address me as Mr. Hatche. If you don't want me to make the rest of your school years a living hell, I'd suggest you start treating me with respect."

Katsume was not about to back down this time.

"Like it isn't already?" he blurted out. "All you've done is given me trouble since I started here. If you want respect, then fucking earn it!"

Mr. Hatche snorted. "Huh, tough talk coming from the son of a whore."

Katsume' felt like his breath had been stolen from him.

"Yeah, I know all about you, Street Rat. I'm golf buddies with your parole officer."

A soft growl was heard as Autumn was suddenly standing between them. "I'm so happy to hear that! We've got this whole confrontation on camera and now we probably have enough to get you fired."

"I have tenure, you insolent welp. No one's going to believe the word of a brainless mall rat."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here." Said a new voice.

Mr. Hatche looked up with a startled glance. There in front of him was an older man in his late thirties. He had short black hair and wore an aged denim vest which was covered with old patches from various punk rock bands over a basic black tank top. His well worn jeans were tucked into a pair of biker boots and he stood next to a half full cart of various food items.

Standing next to his cart was a young tweenager with light brown hair that was pulled back in a standard braid. She looked like a walking advertisement for Hot Topic. Next to her was a little boy that looked to be about Kayla's age. He was the spitting image of his father and wore a child's size Misfits T-shirt and distressed jeans. His hair was very spiky and he wore a small silver chain around his neck.

The father of the bunch gave his daughter a look and she manned the basket as he walked up to the teacher. "You know, I've been told by my son what a douche bag you are, but seeing it play out in real life is an eye opener. If this is how you treat the kids outside of school, I can imagine how it's like when you're on campus and I don't like what I'm seeing."

"I wouldn't have to be like this if you parents would do your job and raise these miscreants the right way."

"And that's where you're wrong. Dead wrong. You see, I know their parents and they are some of the most honorable citizens of Angel Grove. I would be very shocked if they didn't raise their kids to be anything less. As for the other kid, you have no right to speak to him like that and calling him such filthy names in public is a seriously out of line. No matter how he might behave in school, he doesn't deserve that kind of treatment."

Mr Hatch was all but cowering as the older man got into his face.

"I'm telling you right now, that if those kids tell their parents what happened here, and they bring a complaint before the school board, I'll be first in line to support them and provide an eye witness account to back up their claim. You'll be fired in no time, or my name isn't Skullovitch."

Mr. Hatche all but snarled as he turned and walked away. He grabbed his cart and walked away.

When he turned back to the teenagers, Katsume was just shaking with anger. "Hey, are you kids ok?"

"Yeah, this isn't his first panic attack." Kyle said as Autumn put an arm around their friend. "We've got it covered."

Skull nodded and then added. "I wasn't just blowing smoke. If your parents are going to take that idiot on, let them know that I'll stand with them." He pulled out a business card from his wallet and handed it to Kyle. "If you guys are anything like your parent's then I know you've got this covered."

When Skullovitch was gone, Kyle breathed a sigh of relief. Turning back to his crew, he gave them a once over. "Katsume, we don't have to stick around here, we can check out right now and go home."

Katsume shook his head furiously. "No way in Hell am I going to let that bastard win. We get things done here and then we go home. I'm good."

Kyle gave him a dubious look and Katsume met his gaze with fiery embers in his eyes. "Ok, but I'm still going to give Conner a head's up. Just in case that idiot does decide to bring 'friends with him'."

Katsume nodded sharply as Autumn walked towards her mate. "We'll go with him, just in case we run into that idiot again." She'd told him about her spirit dragon and even now he could sense the quiet power radiating from her. It was a major turn-on.

Kyle couldn't resist kissing her; Autumn had to be the responsible one and she broke the kiss after a few seconds.

"Soon," She whispered

"Yeah, I don't know how long I can hold off." He answered back.

"Okay, then you better make preparations." She replied cryptically.

"Yeah." He said kissing her brow.

Someone coughed loudly and the love-birds were instantly reminded that they weren't alone.

Autumn handled it smoothly as she walked back to the cart and walked away.

Kyle closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. Leif only shook his head. "I better go with you to keep you focused."

Kyle huffed at him. "Yeah, good idea."

When he could think clearly, he pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial.

Connor picked up a few seconds later.

"Kyle, what's up?"

"That idiot teacher. He's friends with that probation officer from LA and went after us."

He heard Conner use words that even surprised him. "Is Katsume ok?"

"He's walking it off, and the ladies are taking care of him. We got footage of the whole thing."

"That's great, it's just what Ethan needs to get the ball rolling. Do you need me to make a trip up there?"

"No, we're just gonna grab what's on the list and then come home. Katsume's determined to finish the trip here and then come home."

"Ok then, be careful and get home soon. My dad will be here to do the cleansing ceremony tomorrow."

"Katsume needs this."

"I think all of you do. You're doing great after your ordeal, but a good cleansing would do you all some good."

Kyle didn't argue with him. "Ok, set it up."

When the call was over, Kyle tucked the phone into his back pocket. Together, Kyle and Leif walked towards the last aisle they'd ever expect to find themselves in.

"Miscreants…that's a good name for our group." Leif said as Kyle started looking through the selection of condoms.

Kyle looked up thoughtfully. "Miscreants. That's what that asshole called us." He turned to his bro. "Do you really want to use that term to describe us?"

Leif shrugged. "Yeah, what better way to 'flip him the bird' then to use that name for a group of kids who are anything but trouble makers. It's a good way to show him up without lifting a finger." Saying this, he used the rude gesture.

Kyle grinned at him. "You've got a point. Okay, so we should put it up to a vote with the rest of the crew. If it's unanimous, then that's what our crew will be named."

They spent a few minutes more talking about doing things like getting patches made for their leather coats and ways to make it official. And then Leif looked at Kyle seriously.

"It's time for that soon, isn't it?." He said gesturing to the box in Kyle's hands.

His friend nodded. "Yeah, I can feel it and it's mutual. There's just so many to choose from and I'm not about to ask Dad for advice, it would be worse than the updated version of 'the talk' that he gave me a month ago."

Leif shook his head. "I won't ask for the details, but if you're looking for protection, I'd go with these." He said pointing to one of the boxes. "It's what Saph and I started with."

Kyle nodded and put the box in the hand basket he carried.

"So, what else do you need for the big night?"

"Dad told me it was an intense experience and that I should stock up the fridge with lots of proteins and starch to keep up energy. Autumn and I will be mates for real and it'll be my first responsibility to provide food for her during that time. Also, the door of the trailer will be locked tight until we level out."

"Wow, that's more intense then I realized."

Kyle nodded. "Yeah and that's the PG version. I won't even go into the R version.

"Yeah, please don't."

Kyle laughed at him. "I guess we should get on with stocking the fridge. Another upside of growing up with her is that I know exactly what she loves to eat."

* * *

 **The Manor**

By the time they got home, Katsume was just a little calmer. When they walked into the kitchen, they saw Ranook sitting at the counter with Ethan and Conner.

Conner gave Katsume a long look and it was as if he was seeing him with a different eyes. He couldn't help but avert his gaze.

Conner blinked a moment later and he grimaced.

"It's going to be okay, Katsume. We'll nail that guy."

"What can you do against them?"

"More than we could back in LA." Ethan said as he typed away on his laptop. "In that room, we were flying by the seat of our pants; here, we've got the resources to end whatever threat those idiots pose."

"What are our chances?" Katsume asked dubiously.

"We took on a fringe Klan group and saved this city not even a year ago." Conner answered as his eyes growing dark at the memory. "Compared to those bastards, these idiots don't even compare. We're calling in the big guns so that this situation can be ended as soon as possible."

"Who?" Katsume asked softly.

"Don't you worry about that." Conner answered as Kyle walked back in. "For now, I want all of you to get as much sleep as you can. I get the feeling that tomorrow is going to be a full day."

"Oh okay." Katsume answered. He turned and looked at Kyle. "Is it ok if I spend another night in my bunk?"

Kyle gave him a small smile. "Yeah, that's not going to happen just yet. Though we did have something we want to discuss before we go to bed tonight."

"As in this group?" Ranook wanted to clarify.

"Yeah, this group." Kyle said as Autumn walked up to him. "It won't take long."

"Let's go out to the camper." Ranook said as they walked out the door.

* * *

 **The Camper**

"Miscreants?" Sapphire asked.

Kyle nodded. "Yep. Mr. Hatche used it as an insult, but we can take it and make it something positive. We become a positive force for good at the school and it'll make him regret ever calling us that. Leif and I are cool with it, but it doesn't become official until we vote on it."

"So," Lief said sitting up straighter. "All in favor say Aye."

"Hey, I'm all for sticking it to that Asshat." Katsume said with a defiant look. "Aye."

"I like it." Sapphire said. "Aye."

"Hell yeah!" Ranook added. "Aye"

"I'm in. Let's do this." Autumn said with a grin.

"That makes it unanimous. Kyle said. "We're officially Miscreants."

"So what comes next?" Sapphire asked. "Do we need to have some kind of initiation ritual?"

"Huh, I never thought about it." Leif replied thoughtfully. "It seems like a logical step. If you ladies have any ideas, then I'm all ears."

"I think any initiation rituals should be done after the cleansing ceremony…and within the circle. That way we'll enter into this thing clean."

"Yeah, I heard about that and I agree." Ranook said as he turned to look at the asian teen. "I know this ceremony is for you, Katsume, but I think we should all do it."

"What, you'd do all that for me? Why?"

"Because even before you came along, we saw dark times. Who knows what bad vibes might still be hanging around? Better safe than sorry."

"I don't know what to say."

"Then say nothing." Kyle said as he got up. "But I'm going to follow Conner's advice and get some sleep. I suggest you all do the same thing."

"Ok, then, let's get some sleep." Ranook said before walking to the top bunk opposite of Katsume's and climbing in.

That seemed to end the conversation for the night and Kyle led Autumn back to their room.

They changed into their sleep clothes in full view of each other; this was the first time seeing each other partially nude. Kyle couldn't stop staring at her.

She turned to him, dressed in her tank-top and sleep shorts.

He caressed her with his eyes and licked his lips. When she walked into his arms, she could feel how aroused he was. He kissed her deeply and she leaned into the liplock.

"We can't…not tonight." She breathed. "We need to be there for…him."

"Yeah, I know." He breathed against her cheek. But soon…we need to complete it soon."

"I know…tomorrow night."

Kyle took a deep breath and stepped back from his mate. "I made those preparations."

"Yeah I saw the condoms."

"The mini fridge is stocked. We kick everyone out after the cleansing ceremony and then it's only us."

Autumn kissed him again. "If we're holding off, you better take some time in the bathroom."

"Ok, Corazon."

* * *

 **AN: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and will leave some nice reviews!**

 **Special Note: I don't write smut for couples under 18, so don't expect any next chapter.**

 **That about does it, so I'll see you all next chapter!**


	14. Rebirth

**And we're back!**

 **This next chapter is pretty meaty and I hope you'll all hang in there to there as best you can!**

 **This chapter is the high point of the story and everything will snowball from here. I enjoyed writing this one, and even though it's a little long winded, I hope you all will enjoy it!**

 **Also, I would like to say that I'm not expert at any kind of rituals, so this one took some research and I hope I don't accidentally offend anyone. If I do, please accept my sincere apologies.**

 **I guess that's it for the Author's notes. So read on and I'll see everyone at the bottom!**

* * *

 **The Manor**

Katsume was once again, the first Miscreant to wake up; he got dressed quickly and headed to the Manor. When he walked into the kitchen, he saw that it was full of people.

Trent sat at the table looking cheerful as he sipped his coffee. When he walked in, his foster father smiled at him. "Good morning."

"Hey Trent." He said as he looked around the room. At the breakfast counter sat two men looking over a very high-tech laptop. They dressed casually, but from their spotless black t-shirts, with the silver lettering, he could tell that they were the Silver Guardians that Connor had told him about.

"You must be Katsume." One of them said. He had a square jaw and looked way more intimidating then the guy next to him who looked 'rich' and was a little more approachable.

"Yeah, that's me. Conner told me you were coming over."

The other man nodded. "Yep, we're here to help you. I'm Wes Collins and this is Eric Myers. How are you feeling this morning?"

"Overwhelmed. Roughed up. I didn't expect to find out that my worst nightmare and the asshat teacher were friends. Stupid me for thinking I could leave my past in LA; it's only followed me here."

Eric nodded thoughtfully. "Well, that's why we're here." He paused to look Katsume in the eye. "We've been briefed on everything and we're going to put this nightmare to bed. Ranook gave me all the audio and video he had and then Trent handed me the audio recorder from the hospital room. It's enough to give us grounds to deal with both of them."

Eric paused and then gave Katsume a calculating look. "I know it's a touchy subject, but if you want us to hunt down those girls…"

Katsume shook his head furiously as the color drained from his face. "No. Leave it alone, please. It's bad enough that they drugged and r…raped me. I just want to forget it happened and move on. I'll be happy if I never saw them again."

Trent grimaced as Wes continued. "That's just it. They did it again, to someone your age from the same shelter. They got sloppy and the victim went to the police. They've been caught and interrogated. They confessed to everything and are going away for a long time."

Katsume dropped his head to the table as an immense feeling of relief flooded through him. In the next moment, he felt a comforting hand rubbing his back. "Just to be safe, I'm going to get a restraining order against both those guys. They either leave you alone, or go to jail."

Eric grinned at the sight. "In the meantime, we'll get to work on bringing those men down the rest of the way."

When the moment was over, Rocky brought over a big plate loaded down with breakfast food. As if they could smell the food from the kitchen. The rest of the teens showed up and started to settle into the meal. The only ones not present were the Space Teens. Their parents had taken them on a two-day trip in order to give a sense of privacy to what was going to happen this day.

Conner and his father, David were the last ones to show up. it was an off day for Kira so she was fast asleep in their cottage. Tris was at her master's side as they walked into the kitchen. They both looked so different in their tribal gear.

Katsume could feel the immense power and wisdom emanating from the both of them as they walked in and began to get their own plates of food. He could feel David's assessing eyes on him as they sat down at the table.

He found he couldn't look him in the eye, so he kept his eyes on his plate as he ate.

David on the other hand looked at the boy with compassion seeing everything with his Shaman eyes. He grimaced slightly and then gave his son a nod of confirmation.

Kyle noticed and decided to help smooth out the situation. "How are you doing, Miscreant?"

At the name, Katsume looked up and a smile flashed across his face. He grinned at Kyle. "I'm good, trouble maker."

Rocky gave them all a look. "Did I miss something?"

Kyle grinned at Autumn and then at his father. "We named our crew 'The Miscreants.' We're going to make it all official tonight."

Adam walked in as they were saying this. "Miscreants…where did you guys come up with that name?"

Kyle told them as the rest of the group grinned at each other. "It's the one positive thing to come from that whole mess."

"That's my son." Rocky said with a note of pride in his voice. "You've got code names or anything like that yet?"

"Not yet. But we have time."

"So, what's next…how are you going to make it official?" Adam asked.

"We don't know just yet. We were thinking that we should do it after the cleansing ceremony, that way we can start clean."

"It's a good idea." David said thoughtfully. "Before we do any kind of smudging, everyone needs to do at least 30 minutes of meditation so that you can be fully present in the moment and able to take it all in."

"I think that after breakfast, you guys should think long and hard about it." Adam interjected. "The only thing I ask is that if any kind of bloodletting is involved that you tell me first."

The teens all looked up at him in confusion. "What? Adam asked. "It _is_ a part of some rituals."

* * *

 **A few hours later**

"So, I have an idea." Autumn said as the Miscreants sat in a circle near the camper.

"I'm all ears." Katsume said as they sat around eating brats they roasted on the little grill.

"Well, tonight is about rebirth, right? Leaving the old behind and embracing the new."

"Yeah?" Katsume prompted. "I don't want to be the son of a whore anymore."

"Well, fire is a symbol of destruction, but it's also a symbol of rebirth. Farmers use fire to burn fields and it makes the land more fertile…to begin again. So, what if we all write down on paper the things we want to burn away. Our worst traits and memories, things from our old lives that we want to do away with. Tonight, after the smudging, we wrap them around a stick and tie it with string and throw it in the bonfire."

"While the sticks are burning, we take on our new names and become something different?" Katsume asked.

"It sounds right to me, but if we're going to do this, no holding back." Kyle added quietly. "No one will know what we write down, so let's purge everything. Do any of you guys have anything to add?"

"I think we should add a couple drops of blood." Leif said after a few moments of silence. "We collect it in one of those small paper cups. When we go to burn the paper, we pour the blood on top of it. That way, it'll be like a physical part of us being burned away."

"It'll be exactly like dying and being reborn." Katsume said looking satisfied.

"I like that." Ranook said looking thoughtful. "I'm ready for a do-over"

* * *

 **Just before dusk**

Katsume packed up his book bag that he'd kept by his bunk and left the trailer. Kyle had taken him aside and subtly told him that he needed to clear out his bunk for a couple days. He knew what Kyle was implying and so said nothing, not wanting any awkwardness.

He didn't really keep much in his bunk anyhow, but the one thing he kept with him was in a big manila envelope. It was his backstory and secret project for over a year before Trent had saved him. But now, he was ready to let that go. Along with his paper, he wanted to burn this reminder of his ugly past.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, he left the trailer and walked across the yard to the manor. Walking in the kitchen door, he saw that Eric and Wes were in deep discussion with two women. By their wedding rings, he figured out real fast that they were the wives.

Eric looked up seeing hearing him come through the door. "Hey there, Mr. Shen"

"It's Katsume, please."

The women looked at him in a maternal fashion and he found he couldn't meet their eyes.

"What brings you here? I thought you'd be meditating and preparing for the ceremony tonight." Wes asked.

"I'm sleeping in the manor tonight. "What's going on?"

"We're just going over some files." Eric answered looking back at his computer. "We're trying to find out what could have possibly gotten you in trouble with that asshat probation officer. There's nothing in your record that links you two."

Katsume bit his lip. "I know why."

Wes looked at him. "You do?"

He felt his face heat up. "Yeah, I've known for a while. It's not something I like to talk about…and I have proof. I was hoping to burn this during the ritual, but I guess you need it more."

"We can always make copy for you and keep the original." Jen answered softly. That way you'll still having something to burn."

Katsume nodded, and put his backpack down on the table and pulled out the manila envelope. He handed it to Eric who began to look through it.

"I just wanted to find out who I was…to be more than just a foster kid in the shelter. I should never have gone digging."

Eric scanned the records and looked up at Katsume doing his best to hide his shock.

"These are pretty extensive, how did you get a hold of state files?"

"My social worker was helping me to figure out my history. After she got them, she was hesitant and only glossed over most of it. My mother was a partier with an addiction to Ecstasy. When she got pregnant with me, she did her best to stay clean and accepted help from a catholic charity. I'm not a drug baby, but I found out that as soon as she had me, she left me at a convent and never looked back. The rest I can't talk about, because it makes me want to vomit, but it will explain everything."

Wes gave him a grave look. "You do know that your parents' mistakes don't define you, right?"

Katsume nodded softly. "That's why I need this ritual tonight. I just want a clean start."

"You'll have it." Said David as he made himself known. "That's what tonight is all about."

Katsume nodded numbly. "I'll just go start that mediation now. Gotta be ready for the ritual tonight."

David nodded as Katsume went up the stairs to the kid floor. When he was gone Trent walked into the room having heard everything. His face was guarded as he looked over the pages and then his eyes narrowed. "Sonofabitch." He said in a steely voice.

"Not just a bitch." Eric answered as he pointed out the relevant paragraph. It was the sworn statement of Katsume's mother about the incident. "She could never prove it as she died a few weeks before the trial. The charges were dropped, and that asshole got away with his crimes and became a parole officer for the LAPD. Though it may be a complete coincidence that he was assigned to Katsume, the fact that he tried so hard to destroy that boy…it makes too much sense to ignore."

This only makes me want to go through with the plan even more." Trent said. "Before I only meant to hide Katsume from that asshat by giving him my name. But knowing what I know now, it only feels more right."

"I agree." David answered. "But it _is_ up to Katsume and I think we should hold off any talk about that until after tonight. We need him to have a clear head."

* * *

 **Sunset**

It was time.

A small bonfire had been started out behind the dojo. The fire was crackling softly and the group of adults stood in the outer circle as if protecting what was about to happen that night.

Tommy stood next to the wooden table as Conner and David, both in their native garments, took turns wafting the smudging stick over each other. On the table were the ceremonial items that David had brought with him. A few moments before, the clay bowl the smudging stick, and the eagle feather had rested on this table, but now were in use by David who was in full shaman mode.

Tommy, Rocky, Aisha, and Adam stood in their full ninjetti regalia; Their hoods were down and so were their face masks, but their emblems shown softly in the light of the fire. Though their bodies had aged slightly, their gear still fit perfectly. Tanya couldn't help but feel like the odd girl out, her uniform was long gone, but still, she stood next to her mate in a soft yellow tank top and matching capris. Trent stood directly behind Katsume in a white linen shirt and blue jeans with his morpher on his wrist. In the same manor, the parents stood behind their kids and all were present in the moment.

The Miscreants all stood in a line waiting for their turned to be ceremonially cleansed.

Finally, David stood before them at the entrance to the circle and began to waft the smudge stick over the teenagers as he did this, he prayed softly in his native language.

Kyle was first. He was once again in his phoenix shirt and blue jeans along with his black canvas shoes. On his brow, he wore a fiery bandana and his eyes were bright and clear as he walked into the circle and stood before the fire.

Autumn followed her mate into the circle. She wore one of the more casual tops with a dragon print on the front of it along with a pair of blue jean capris and comfortable sandals. Copying her boyfriend, she wore a light purple bandana and the ring on her finger, with its opal in the center shown like a little flame in the light from the bonfire.

After her, came Katsume. His eyes were full of emotion as he entered the circle in his plain white tank top and blue jeans. He wore his black canvas shoes and a white bandana on his head.

Next was Leif. His goth clothes were gone and so was any hit of eyeliner or spiky hair. Tonight he wore a distressed black graphic t-shirt that depicted a gargoyle in a pose that suggested that he was poised to fight should a threat make itself known. These were paired with a pair of dark black jeans and black canvas shoes. Bandanas were the one thing they wore in common, his was black and rested on his brow.

Following her mate into the circle was Sapphire. Like her name suggested, she wore a Sapphire blue tank top along with a pendant baring a crescent moon. These she wore with a pair of capris and simple black sandals. Her bandana was a little different as it had little studs attached to it and in the light of the fire, they glittered like little stars on her brow. She walked into the circle and stood beside her mate.

Lastly, it was Ranook's turn. He wore a gray camouflage t-shirt and black jeans. Along with these he wore a basic grey bandana and his basic black combat boots. Hanging from his neck, his dog tags shone in the light of the blaze and he walked with purpose towards his friends and stood beside them as Conner and his father completed the circle.

David handed the smudging stick to his son who returned it to the table and set it in the bowl where the sweet-smelling smoke continued to spread its fragrance.

David walked to the center of the circle and began the ceremony.

"Tonight, is a night of rebirth. These fighters that stand before us have each been through a hard battle. As I stand before you all tonight, I can confirm that with my shaman vision I saw through to their souls and though the wounds are all healed the scars remain. Originally, I had planned to only do a ceremonial cleansing on Katsume, but now they have all joined him in a show of solidarity. In doing so, they have become their own tribe within this tribe and that is something that is rarely seen nowadays. You as parents should be very proud of them all."

"The battles they have endured have made them all stronger and now, they have asked me to oversee this ceremony that will change them from battle weary teenagers to a group of warriors reborn into something new."

Saying this, he summoned Connor towards him. As the son of the shaman, and the friend of the teenagers, he was the one that Kyle asked to be apart of the ritual. His hair was a little longer and he wore only his buckskin trousers and his tribal necklace. His tattoo was proudly displayed on his lean and muscular arm.

He walked towards Adam and held his hands out for the stick that was thick with the notebook paper that was tied around it with strands of twine. Adam simply handed the stick over and then joined hands with his wife.

Before the ceremony the teens had told him what they wanted to do, and he was going to do everything they asked of him.

"These strong young people that stand before you have written on these pages, paragraphs of negative traits they want to burn away. Before this ceremony, Adam helped them make a cut in their hands and collect small amounts of blood in sterile vials. They will pour the blood out on this stick to show the symbolic death of their old selves."

He held the stick parallel in his hands and turned to the teenagers. One after another, they opened up the vials that they kept in their pockets and poured the thick red liquid on the paper. (They were originally going with paper cups, but Adam talked them out of it and Wes provided the vials.)

"As we burn this stick with your blood upon it, your old selves with die a symbolic death."

The teens nodded and stepped back from Connor.

He turned to the fire and slowly tossed it in to the blaze. It took a minute for the flames to catch fire, but soon the stick was engulfed in fire and with it, a subtle change came over the teenagers.

Conner felt it as well and he smiled at them all.

He took the smudging stick from the table as the teens knelt on the ground. Conner wafted the stick over him and said in a soft voice. The old Kyle is gone, now. With the blessing of the spirits, you shall rise and be known as Pyre."

When Kyle stood back up, he felt the old fears burn away and a new confidence take its place. The ritual had worked!

He worked to contain his excitement as Connor moved on to his girlfriend.

The smudge stick was wafted over her and Conner spoke again. "The Old Autumn is gone. With the blessing of the spirits, rise, and be known as Wyvern!"

When Autumn rose, she felt any lingering feels of inadequacy leave her and she suddenly felt absolutely radiant! She beamed and took Kyle's hand in hers and felt his subtle shaking.

She whispered in his ear. "Not long now, my lord Phoenix." Kyle could only nod as Connor stood in front of Katsume. "The Old Katsume is gone. With the Blessing of the Spirits, rise and be known as Paladin!"

The moment Katsume stood up, the last of his shame left him and he felt a relief sweep over him. He rose with tears in his eyes and he was beaming at Connor and then at Trent whose visage mirrored his own.

On and on the ceremony went; Leif became known as Cold-stone and Sapphire became Nocturne. Out went his anger at the bullies that attacked him; with the final waft of the stick over her, she felt the last of her hesitation over this new direction of her life with Leif leave her and she felt so very positive and an equal to her lover. They would walk this new path together, no matter what was next for them!

Finally, Conner stepped in front of Ranook and he met his eyes with expectation. He lowered his gaze and listened to his voice.

"With the blessing of the spirits, rise and be known as Rookery!"

As he did, he felt the last shreds of boyhood leave him. Gone was that scared child that freaked out after the attack. Now he felt more self-confident and he would never have to pretend to be cool calm and collected again. For the first time, he felt like a real man.

Connor turned back to his father.

"The ritual is complete. I hand this over to you father."

"You have done well, my son. Go and join the others."

Connor made a small bow and stood next to Trent. David raised his hands to the sky again.

"I give thanks to the Creator who blessed this ceremony. May these warriors that stand before us be worthy of it!"

When he lowered his hands, he looked at the teenagers.

"You are reborn. You came here as wounded children now you leave as one tribe. Go in peace and celebrate, Miscreants!"

As they left the circle, two spirits appeared and soared into the sky and around each other! One was a Phoenix and the other a Dragon. They flew around each other and cried out in ethereal joy!

Adam, Tanya, Rocky, and Aisha looked up in quiet amazement. When they looked down at their offspring, they saw that look on their faces and it mirrored their own as well as the subtle trembling from way back in the day. They immediately knew what it meant.

Adam grimaced in understanding. "I guess any celebration will have to wait."

Tanya put an arm around him. "Then we better leave them to it. We can talk once this thing is over. Come on, my love. Let's go back to the manor, I'll take care of you tonight."

Rocky looked at Aisha. "I didn't think it would happen so soon. But they are the offspring of the Ninjetti."

Aisha rested her head on his shoulder. "There's nothing much to say to this, we knew this might happen soon; it is the reason we got them their own place. Let's just take this party inside, I trust that our son is prepared for this. It's between them now."

The teens stood in a circle. Kyle was fighting the need to claim his mate, but it would be rude to just walk away from his crew without at least saying goodnight.

They let a moment pass before Leif smirked at them. "I guess we'll see you on the flip side. Have a good night!"

As they walked off on their own towards the trailer, Kyle could feel his mate's trembling; he could feel his own trembling and it got stronger as they entered their domain.

Once they came up for air…everything had changed.

* * *

Katsume and Trent stood before the fire, as David completed the smudging ritual and buried the final ashes from the herbs into the earth.

Connor stood a little way off, ready to put out the bonfire. "If you're going to do it, now's the time."

Trent nodded and handed Katsume the copies of the papers from before in another manila envelope. "Do it, Son."

Katsume took the papers and after a moment's pause, threw the envelope into the fire and together, they watched it burn.

* * *

 **As I said in the last chapter, I don't write smut involving couples under 18 years old. So there'll be nothing lemony involving Kyle and Autumn right now. Maybe once they're older, but that's not going to happen for a while.**

 **In writing this story, I didn't plan on making that asshat probation officer Katsume's possible sire. But it's the only thing that makes sense. I'm not saying that he is, since Katsume's mother was an addict and slept with many men. But in that idiot's mind, he might think so.**

 **Anyhow, if you liked the chapter, please leave a review!**

 **I'm gonna take a few days to relax after this long chapter. But as soon as I'm rested, I'll start work on the next one!**

 **See you all soon!**


	15. Small Victories

***Waves* Here we are with the next chapter! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season no matter what you celebrate.**

 **Anyway, I'm posting this now so those who are traveling won't miss it. For those who are going out of town, I'm sending good vibes and hopes for safe travels!**

 **I also want to thank everyone for the nice reviews laster chapter!**

 **There was a question posed by a reviewer asked me to explain the names the Miscreants chose during the ceremony. A few minutes ago, I replied on the FaceBook page so you can go there for a full explanation!**

 **I also have a new Twitter Page for fanfictions for those who don't use Facebook anymore or want easier access to any updates I post. The link is on my profile page!**

 **I guess that's about it as far as ANs go. Read on and I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

"Gather around Miscreants, we have something to show you before you go to school today."

The crew with the exception of the lovebirds were dressed and ready to go. Rookery had shown up a few moments before and Cold-Stone and Nocturne had stayed the night. They all stood at the counter as Eric and Wes pulled out a couple thin black boxes and slid four of them towards the Miscreants.

"What's this?" Rookery asked.

"Well, you guys are officially a team, so we thought some kind of token would be appropriate." Wes answered. "For us, it was morphers for you guys, something a little less technological, but still pretty awesome."

Rookery opened the thin box and grinned. There, resting on the back velvet square was a shiny silver dog tag with a skull design on the front. He turned it over to see the back was blank.

"I know that they're blank, but that's because when we bought these from the wholesaler, we didn't know what codenames you wanted to use. When you want to, you can get them engraved or we can do it for you. Whatever works."

Cold-Stone grinned at his girlfriend. "We know the perfect place."

"The Gilded Rose. She answered with a nod. "We could grab some pizza afterwards."

"Thanks for this!" Paladin said as he put his dog tags on. "This is awesome!"

Eric grinned as he handed over the last two boxes. "Then ride out, Miscreants!"

The others made sure to thank them before they left. When they were gone, Wes grinned at him. "Did you enjoy that, sending them out like a team of heroes?"

"You bet your ass, I did." Eric answered with a grin. He was still grinning as he saw Trent emerge from the shadows.

"You know, if you're going to keep lurking in the hallway, maybe we should charge you for a permit." Eric added.

Trent huffed a sigh at them. "That's not really a threat. I have more than enough money for any fees you can come up with."

Wes grinned at him. "So, what's on the agenda?"

"I'm making a day trip to go meet with my father, to seek his counsel…and blessing."

"What, for this adoption thing?" Eric asked.

"Well, he _is_ still head of the family. It'd be rude to proceed with my plans without talking to him first. I'm heading there in a few minutes."

Wes nodded. "If you're going to ask us to look after him, his crew has it covered. Still we'll make sure to keep him out of trouble."

"Thanks. I'll back by tonight."

* * *

 **AGHS**

They were a sight as they walked through the hallways. Though Kyle and Autumn weren't there, everyone looked up as the rest of them walked through the doors. Subconsciously, Katsume's eyes searched for Elisa and he saw her gathering her notebook from her locker. As if sensing him, her eyes looked up and they smiled at each other.

He was still smiling as he opened his locker and hung up his coat. That smile fell when he felt the little hairs on the back of his head standing up. Before he could react, he felt a hand on his shoulder; a second later, that same hand grabbed his a fistful of his shirt and yanked him away. On pure instinct he grabbed the hand trying to free himself of the hold.

"You know, you really should have kept that mouth of yours shut. Now I'm really going to make your life hell."

The old Katsume would have cowered, but Paladin stood tall and felt no fear at all. He looked Mr. Hatche in the eye. "What do you think you can do to me that hasn't already been done? If you're hoping that I'll cower in your intimidating presence, you've got the wrong guy."

Mr. Hatche glared at him and then smashed him into a locker. He saw stars and turned on his side, preparing for another hit…but then nothing happened. A few moments later, he heard a grunt and saw Rook and Connor confronting the teacher.

"You just couldn't leave him alone, could you!" Connor said in a voice of authority. "You're like a rabid dog; do I _need_ to put you down to keep you from molesting my family?"

"I don't see a family here. I see a street rat and a man just barely out of his teens that thinks he can take me on. You don't have it in you."

Connor smiled coldly. "You are way too overconfident…it's like you're trying to compensate for something. I could destroy you where you stand and barely break a sweat. Thankfully, I won't have to…yet." He paused and held up a folded piece of paper. "This is a restraining order against you. I'm giving you 30 seconds to clear out of here before I call the authorities. Try anything and I will _end you!"_

There was such power behind those words, that all bravado left the teacher and he turned on his heel and left the hallway.

While all this was going on, Leif and Sapphire had helped Katsume to his feet and stood watching the confrontation. His head was pounding a little but his vision was clearing. Connor walked over to them and looked at Katsueme closer. "You look like you're okay. Anything hurting?"

"I have a headache, but give me a few minutes and I'll be fine."

Connor nodded non committedly. "Take a walk with me." He paused and looked at the other Miscreants. "Go ahead and get to class. Tell the homeroom teacher what happened and that I'll send Mr. Shen along with a note after we see the nurse."

When they were gone, Connor looked back at the teenager. "Come on Paladin. Let's do this."

Rook and the others trudged to class. When they arrived, the looked at the new teacher in surprise. It was Dr. Oliver.

He was in a casual outfit consisting of a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black slacks. Tommy's hair was growing out again and pulled into a short pony tail at the base of his neck and his tribal choker was in full view of everyone.

He looked up at them and stood up to full height. "So glad you could make it to class. Where's Mr. Shen?"

"Mr. True-Heart took him to the nurse office. He said to tell you that Mr. Shen will be in as soon as the nurse clears him."

Mr. Oliver gave them a long look and glanced at his phone. "Ok. Go ahead and find your seats. I don't care what you do as long as you keep everything to a dull roar."

"Yes Sir."

* * *

"Is Katsume okay?"

Rook looked over at Elisa and smiled at her. "Yeah, he's a tough kid; he can take a beating and come back for more. He'll be back in class any moment."

Elisa smiled at him and then looked back at her paper.

Nocturne fought her smile as she whispered. "He's a Paladin now."

That made Elisa look up at her with wide eyes. "You think so?"

"Yeah, he is."

Up at the front, Dr. O grinned to himself. He knew exactly what they were up to. If he had any doubts about this new crew they'd formed, they were gone the moment they started hyping up one of their own.

Cold-Stone simply shook his head and went back to his phone, he'd gotten a text from the shelter about needing them for an adoption event during the upcoming fall festival.

He gently laced his fingers through his girlfriend's hand and when she looked up at him, he showed her the text. She cocked her head to the side and then grinned at him; nodding in agreement she watched as he replied that they were 'in.'

That was pretty much how the hour went. About 5 minutes before the bell was to ring, Dr. O got up from his desk and walked to the front of the class and leaned against his desk.

"All eyes up here, please."

When he had their attention, he nodded his thanks. "I want you all to think about what Principle Matthews said this morning. This city went through some dark times and that darkness even hit families out in Reefside. Now that the cause of that darkness has been eradicated, it's time to spread good vibes to counteract all that nasty stuff that happened. Now, I'm not saying that you have to become rangers and fight monsters, but you could maybe just start with helping the elderly of this city load their groceries into the trunks of their cars. Maybe once in a while let an overwhelmed parent cut in front of you at the grocery store so they can get those kids home faster."

"And what are you going to do to help, besides telling us what to do?" Jezebel asked him in a haughty voice.

Dr O frowned at her. _This must be that girl that was giving Autumn so much trouble._ Still, he kept his cool.

"Of course I'm not the kind of person that would give orders that I am not willing to follow. Back in the day, my wife and I were students here and this is the school we both graduated from. We moved after graduation to Reefside. For the last several years, I taught science at Reefside High School; I had tenure and a very secure job position. We had a nice house and my wife and I put down roots there. When we heard about what happened in our hometown, we made the decision to uproot our family and move back here.

You as teenagers wouldn't understand how complicated it is to move towns especially with a 6 year old and a new born in tow, but it's no easy feat. I gave up a lot to come back here to help my city.

Now, I'm going to be at that meeting on Friday, and I hope you all would do the same. If we work together and walk the walk, we could really turn this city around."

As he finished his little speech, the bells rang and the students began to file out. "Leif, Sapphire, Rook, please stay a minute."

When it was just them, the remaining students stood in front of him. Before their eyes, he seemed to relax and become just Tommy again.

"Miscreants, I thought you'd like to know what happened this morning. We didn't have time to let you know before Hatche struck."

"It all happened really fast." Rook confirmed.

Dr. O nodded. "Yeah, we barely got things done in time." He paused and pulled out an official copy of the restraining order. "We had to work fast and call in a solid to get this signed by a judge. It's all official and legal now and should you witness Hatche going anywhere near Paladin, you have my permission to do anything and I mean anything to keep that moron away." He paused pulled out another picture. "This is the other perp to worry about. It's that probation officer from LA. He may try and come here to make trouble. Should you see him anywhere in this city, let us know." He then turned his attention the Noctorn and Cold-Stone. "If you could, let the coven know. That probation officer is an idiot and he may not even show up, but if he or his golf buddy tries anything, every set of eyes could be an advantage."

"You bet." Cold-Stone said a second later. They both took a picture of the picture and saved it to their phones. When they were done the meeting was over. "Alright you Miscreants, better get to your next class." He turned back to his desk and picked up some passes and handed them out to the teens. "Here, just in case you're late to your next class."

"Thanks Dr. O. See you at the Manor tonight."

Dr. O nodded and then pulled out a 50 dollar bill. "Taking care of your fellow team mates is important and Paladin will need some distraction so here's some cash for your feast. Stay out as long as you need to, but also leave some time to get your homework done."

"Yes. Sir."

* * *

 **Lunch Time**

"Katsume?" Paladin turned to see Elisa hurrying towards him on her crutches.

He couldn't help but smile at her. "Hey, what's up?"

She stopped short and looked up at him as if suddenly unsure of her self. Katsume grinned at her and gave her a small bow. "Milady Olanys, what can I do for you?"

That made her smile at him. "I was um..just wanting to check on you…you know after what happened this morning."

Katsume shrugged. "I'm good. It's nothing a couple of aspirin and a short nap couldn't help. I was up on my feet about 30 minutes later and I've had worse."

"Oh, Ok." Then she turned and walked away quickly before he could say anything else. A second later, Rook subtly nudged him. Katsume looked at him strangely. "What?"

"That, dear Paladin is an opportune moment." Rookery answered with a shooing motion. "Go woo the fair maiden!"

Paladin only shook his head and hurried after Elisa.

When he was gone, they didn't leave the cafeteria, but sat at a table by the door.

"Why do you care so much about those two getting together?" Cold stone asked while they ate their lunch.

"Because if I don't, this whole thing is going to turn into a chick flick and Paladin has had enough drama in his life. Those two are completely into each other, I'm just removing the ugly crying moments so they can get to the good parts."

"You know, not all chick flicks are bad." Nocturne said thoughtfully. "Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly? That was an amazing movie."

"She's right, you know." Cold Stone backed his girlfriend up. "Yeah, there's drama in it. But it's more about two insanely stubborn people clashing over and over again. But once Mr. Darcy realizes how much he's in love with Miss Bennet, he goes to insane lengths to win her over. I'm not much into chick flicks, but that is one movie I don't mind watching as often as my girl wants."

"And oh my gosh, that final scene in the fields…" Nocturne said dreamily. "It makes everything worth the struggle."

Cold-Stone grinned and kissed the side of her head. "And I'll recite that line as much as you want."

"Ooookay." Rook said rolling his eyes. "I'm just go find somewhere to puke now."

"You know, if you ever plan to have a healthy relationship with a pretty girl, you'll need to work on developing a softer side…and get over your aversion to chick flics. Not all of them are bad."

"I'll keep that in mind." Rook said as he resumed eating his lunch.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Mall**

 **Food Court**

They got lucky that business was slow at The Gilded Rose. After paying for the tags to be engraved, they sat at a corner table, with two large pizzas and cokes and waited for the order to be done.

"So, there's something we wanted to ask you guys about." Nocturne began. We don't need an answer until Pyre and Wyvern come up for air, but we wanted to get your thoughts on it."

"Well, we have plenty of time." Paladin answered. "Let's hear it."

"We got a text from the shelter where we volunteer today. Every year at the Fall Fest, the animal shelter has a tent set up for adoptions; this year, the shelter volunteers want to try something new to get more attention from the attendees. And we wanted to know if you'd be willing to join us."

Rook gave them a long look. "Join you…doing what?"

"A fashion show involving both handlers and animals that are looking for homes. It's not a new concept, other shelters have done it, and we want to try it out to give the animals more exposure."

"And you want me to dress up in fancy clothes and strut my stuff…" Rook asked looking for clarification.

"Not fancy clothes…Halloween costumes." Cold-Stone answered. "The dogs are the real focus of the show, but good-looking handlers can't hurt."

Rook nodded looking like he was really thinking it over. "I guess I'm in…but the rules of the group are that everyone gets a vote." Saying this he looked at Paladin.

"The one thing I miss about LA is working for the animal shelter. I'd love to get into rescue work again."

"Then we only need the love birds to chime in."

"Yeah, assuming they come up for air."

"They can't stay in their bubble forever." Cold-Stone snickered. "That mini-fridge only has enough food for about two days. They'll have to emerge eventually to replenish…everything."

An hour later, they got the text that the tags were done and so with bag in hand, they left for the manor.

* * *

 **The Manor**

When they walked into the manor's kitchen, they were treated to a surprising sight. Adam and Tanya were standing in the kitchen in front of a holographic screen and the former yellow ranger was holding a bundle in her arms. The bundle was shimmery and definitely not of Earth.

Andros stood to the side of them and said a few words in an unknown language. Adam and Tanya repeated after him and the only words the group understood were their names. Andros turned to the screen and said a few more words in that strange language again. A few sniffles were heard and then the screen shut off and with the push of a button the strange screen folded up into a small square on the counter.

Adam and Tanya sighed in relief and seemed to relax a little bit. Then the bundle cried softly.

Adam gently touched the bundle. "And so it begins, I know I said we would help if there was a child in need…I just didn't think it would happen so soon."

Andros nodded. "I'm one of the few people on the planet that knew about this whole scandal to begin with. I even considered adopting Nova myself, but there are too many gossips in the senate and if Ash and I were to adopt the baby, those bigots would drag my daughters through the dirt. It would really throw a kink into what I'm trying to do here on Earth if I were to pull my spiral saber out and go after them."

Adam chuckled at the mental picture as Tanya smoothed the hair on what was obviously a baby's head. "This works out for us too. We wanted to have another baby, but Tanya barely survived the last time, and we can't adopt without risking someone finding out about our pasts."

Tanya nodded. "I'm glad that the adoption agencies are so through, but it makes things difficult for those who need to hide their identities."

Andros nodded but then looked up at the teens. Adam and Tanya followed his gaze and smiled at them. "Hey there Miscreants? How did things at the mall go?"

"We're all set." Rook answered taking out the last two boxes and putting them on the counter.

Andros took his cue from the parents. "So, these are the Miscreants?"

Adam nodded. "Yep, newly minted. Blessed by a shaman and given new names." Saying this, he picked up the last two black boxes and opened them up to inspect the tags. "These dog tags were a gift from Wes and Eric."

"I see. So, what do I call you guys now?" he asked walking over to them, giving them a through once over.

"When we're on duty, whatever that ends up being, I'm Rookery. It means stone fortress."

"And I'm Nocturne. Simply put, it means a night song."

Andros nodded and turned to Lief who sounded off. "I'm Cold-Stone. It's a character from the Gargoyles cartoon during the 90's. Cold stone was a gargoyle made of metal that was possessed by three different souls. He was pretty epic."

"I think I remember hearing about that show. Nice choice."

Then he turned to Katsume who looked him in the eyes. "I'm Paladin. A knight who's known for being brave and chivalrous."

"I'm impressed." Andros said. "Those are ambitions names. See to it that you live up to them."

"We will, it's the monsters out there that will be the challenge."

"You're not wrong about that." Andros answered. "May the Power Protect you." Looking at the new parents, he smiled at them. "I'll just be in bed now, good night!"

"Night, Andros."

When he was gone, the teens looked at the parents. "So, what's all this about?"

Adam gave them a smile. "We've adopted a baby. That's all I can tell you right now. Autumn would be hurt if we told you guys before her. She's a big sister now."

* * *

 **For anyone who misses Autumn and Kyle, I can guarantee that they will be back next chapter.**

 **A wonderful reviewer mention to me who much she misses Connor and Kira. I do plan to do something with them after the new year, as soon as my side fic is done. I really miss writing them in too.**

 **I guess that's it for now. Happy Holidays everyone!**


	16. The Morning After

**Hi everyone! I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas!**

 **Here we are with a new chapter and we're back to Kyle and Autumn.**

 **There's no real warnings for this chapter, so read on!**

* * *

 **The Trailer**

Kyle opened his eyes and attempted to stretch. A second later, he remembered that he was currently pinned down by his mate; the thought of it made him smile. _She is mine- wholly and completely mine._

"You do know that goes both ways?" Autumn murmured softly as she opened her pretty eyes. She'd been awake for a few minutes, basking in the new feelings that came from finally completing their bond. "You belong to me now too."

Kyle smiled as she carefully sat up pulling the sheet with her and looked around their room. It was a huge mess. Their sheets were twisted and filthy and the plastic trash can by their bed was full of foil packets and used condoms.

That thought made him pause and he looked down at her as if making sure she was okay. They'd been completely lost…the contents of the trash can were a testament to that. He lifted up his head and saw his mate, without a stitch of clothing on examining herself in the full-length mirror of their small closet.

Damn, she was beautiful.

"Better keep those thoughts clean, Mi Amore." Autumn murmured as she turned back to him. "I love you, but I'd like to get some real food and if you keep going down that path, we'll end up going another round…I'm not ready to do that right now."

Kyle frowned and searched their link.

Autumn smiled and sat down on the edge. "I'm as happy as you are right now, but to be honest, we both smell like sex and so does this room…and I'm starving. I promise that this won't be the last time we make love, but I'd like to have a day to hang out with our friends and eat real food and definitely shower."

Kyle smiled at her and she caught his naughty thoughts.

"No, Kyle DeSantos." She said a little more firmly. "I'm going to shower alone and if I were you, I'd open some windows and start airing out this trailer."

Kyle grinned at her. "Yeah, you're probably right. Go ahead and have some lady time in the shower…if you need me to."

Autumn burst out laughing and threw one of the pillows that had fallen on the floor at him. "Yeah, it looks like you need some guy time too." She leaned down and kissed his lips. This time Kyle didn't try anything, though he did watch her walk into the small bathroom and lock the door.

After he'd settled himself down, he did as she asked. Pulling on his sleep pants and a tank top, he began opening all the windows of the trailer. Once that was done, he stripped the bed of the dirty sheets and threw them on the floor. Those were going straight to the laundry room. Next, he got a trash bag and began the daunting task of picking up all the discarded foil packets and the food wrappers.

He hadn't realized till now how much they'd destroyed their room.

"It was worth it." He said to himself. And then he finished the task and took the garbage out to the dumpster.

* * *

By the time Autumn emerged from the shower in her underclothes, the bed had been stripped down and the room was clear of garbage. She smiled and began to get dressed in some basic clothing. When Kyle got back, she was just throwing her hair up in a messy ponytail.

She wrinkled her nose at how stinky he was. Kyle snorted and kissed her cheek. "Give me a few minutes and we'll go to the house together. It won't take me _nearly_ as long to get clean."

She immediately felt his amusement and let the teasing comment go. While he showered, she put new sheets on the bed and did the first domesticated thing ever. She laid out a set of his clothes including some very masculine boxer briefs. A year before she'd blushed at the thought of Kyle in his underwear…now it felt like such a normal thing to do.

Then she went to the kitchen and let hm dress in peace. As she opened the door, she felt his arms wrap around her as he pressed a kiss to the small bite on her shoulder. "You want to cover this up?" He half whispered to her.

She shook her head. "Why hide it? It's not like we're sneaking around. They knew what was going to happen."

He kissed the spot again. "Well then, I've got the mesh bag with our sheets, we might as well face the music."

Autumn turned and kissed him. "Yep, we may as well."

Together, hand in hand they walked towards the manor, as they did, all the dogs came up to them to greet them with wagging tails and happy barks. Even Tank, the refugee walked along with them.

When they walked in Autumn stopped short seeing that her mother was pretty preoccupied.

She had a strange infant in her arms…

"Mom? What's going on?"

* * *

Tanya turned slowly with the strange baby in her arms. "Hey sweetie, good morning!"

A moment later, her dad walked in the room. He gave her a slow look over and then switched his attention to the baby. Wordlessly, Tanya handed her husband the child and he took the baby in his strong arms and walked over to Autumn.

"This is Nova, he's your baby brother now."

Autumn looked closely at the baby, he looked just like any other newborn with soft brown fuzz on his head and pretty brown eyes. "Where'd he come from? Why didn't you let me know ahead of time?"

"Because this was a delicate operation." Andros said as he walked into the room with Ashley by his side. I can't give you many details but long story short, this baby is a refugee from my home planet. His mother was a little promiscuous and got pregnant without being married. I know on this planet, there are plenty of mothers like her, but on KO-35 we have a couple very conservative traditions. My ally in the senate is her father and for anyone to find out she committed such a faux pas, would have seriously impeded what we are trying to accomplish, so we had to get this baby off the planet."

"I know it sounds cold for me to speak of Nova like that, but that's the brutal truth." Andros finished with a sad look.

"Autumn, your dad and I have wanted a second baby, but we couldn't risk another pregnancy." Tanya said softly. "We did discuss adoption, but we were worried about the agency finding out what we do for our side jobs. Baby, this is the answer we were looking for."

Autumn nodded and then looked up at Andros. "So, this is all about politics?"

Andros grimaced. "It doesn't matter what planet you're from, political games are nasty and even more treacherous than being a ranger. I've seen it here on Earth and it's about the same on any other planet. I'm just an ambassador and even I have to keep my reputation as spotless as I can and that goes for my own family too."

"Coming back to Earth is a relief for all of us; for my kids, this is the first time in their lives that they aren't under scrutiny." Ashly added softly.

Autumn nodded and then smiled at her father. "So, do I get to hold my baby brother yet?"

Adam grinned at her and handed the little bundle over. "You're the best daughter ever."

* * *

 **Noon**

"So, what are these?" Kyle asked as he opened the last two boxes.

"It's your tokens." Andros answered as he ate his sandwich. Each of you have one, but you were both occupied yesterday.

Kyle nodded and pulled one out; on the back in a decorative script was Autumn's name.

"My Lady Wyvern, This is yours." He said as he handed it over to his girlfriend.

"Wyvern." Andros confirmed.

"Yeah," Autumn nodded. "That's the name I chose for myself. It's a type of dragon."

Andros nodded and then looked at Kyle. "That just leaves you."

The teenager nodded. "Yeah." He turned his own pendant over and read it. "My name is Pyre. It's pretty much a burning heap. In a warrior's funeral, that's what the bodies burn upon."

"Very powerful names." Andros commented. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you guys."

"You don't go through the fire without something else coming out." Kyle said as he put his tag on.

"So, what's next for you guys?"

Kyle shrugged. "We go to school, like all the other teens out there, deal with the usual bullies, make good grades and he paused and smiled at Autumn, "learn to drive so I can take my lady on dates."

"Or I could drive us. Dad already got me a car."

Kyle looked up at her, ready to argue the point, wanting to be chivalrous. But felt the gentle challenge through the bond and decided now was not the time for a playful argument. Not with Andros in the room. He smiled at her. "Of course, my Lady Dragon. Whatever you say."

Andros chuckled and took a sip from his glass. The teen was learning fast.

* * *

 **Late Afternoon**

They were once again sitting under the awning outside the trailer. By the time the rest of the Miscreants made it back to the Manor, Kyle and Autumn had put their home to rights and lit a few candles so that no one could tell what they'd been up to.

"So, any updates?" Kyle asked. "Anything exciting happen at school?"

"Well, Mr. Hatche is gone, he's got a restraining order against him and so does my old probation officer." Katsume said with a brief hint of a smile. "They won't be able to come near me without getting arrested."

"You know it's probably going to happen." Kyle said after a moment. "That asshole has such an ego that he'll see it as an invitation just to prove how powerful he is."

Leif nodded. "That's why I went before my queen today. Every goth from the coven has his picture on their phone. That's at least 20 extra eyes watching out for that bastard."

"Well, at least we have that." Kyle said simply as he took a sip from his cup. After a moment he looked at his friends and asked. "So, do we have any Miscreant business to discuss?"

They all gave him amused looks.

"What?" He defended. "We _are_ an official crew now with dog tags and code names. May as well have fun with this."

Sapphire grinned at him. "Well then, Pyre. There is something that came up while you and your mate were…occupied."

"Go on." He prompted.

"Every year, Paws and Claws Rescue Center has a tent set up for their adoption event. This year, Bonnie wants to try something different in order to give the dogs and cats more attention."

Autumn nodded encouragingly. "And?"

"Well, she wants to try holding a fashion show: Halloween edition at the Fall fest and she's looking for volunteers. Leif and I have already decided to be a part of it, and we were wondering if you were willing to go along with us. We already put it to a vote, but we wanted to wait for you two before we make it unanimous."

"You said Halloween edition…are you talking about us dressing up in costumes that match the animals?" Kyle asked as he put his soda bottle on the table.

Leif nodded. "Yep. You don't have to have any special skill, since it's really about getting the animals forever homes. We're more like the handlers."

Kyle nodded and looked at them again. "So, how did you vote already?"

"All of us are up for it, but like you said, this is a crew now and everyone gets a vote." Rook answered.

Kyle looked at Wyvern. "And you, Corazon?"

"That sounds like a lot of fun. Why not? I vote yes."

Kyle shook his head with a wry smile. "Okay then. I vote yes too. We're in." He paused and then looked at his crew. "So, what's the first step?"

* * *

 **Later that night**

Trent was in pretty good spirits as he approached the house. After taking off his shoes, he opened the door and immediately he could smell taco meat and guacamole coming from the kitchen and he smiled.

Walking into the kitchen, he smiled at the sight of the teens buzzing around the kitchen while the parents sat at the table relaxing. He stopped short as he saw Tanya holding a small bundle; _when did she have a baby?_

"Welcome back, Trent." Tommy said as he walked into the room with a giggling Kayla on his back. He gave his protégé a long look. "You look pretty happy. I'm guessing the meeting with your dad went well?"

At hearing that, Katsume looked up for the first time. He'd been the one making the guacamole. "You went to see your dad?"

Trent nodded. "Yep, and everything went great. There's something I want to talk to you about, but it can wait till after dinner."

"That sounds ominous." Katsume trailed off.

"It's not, I can promise you." Trent assured him. "We have time."

Katsume gave him a long look but then went back to his task.

Trent sat down at the table and exhaled softly. He accepted the soda that Tommy offered him and sat quietly for a few minutes. Then he looked at his Mentor. So, when did you all decide to take a family trip down here?"

"We're moving here!" Kayla chirped from her spot on her dad's lap.

Trent glanced at her in confusion and then looked up at Tommy for confirmation.

He smiled. "Now that is a long story, but yes, we are. Kim and I had only planned to stay in Reef Side long enough to finish my internship with your father. We stayed when we found out that my long lost nephews were living there and in trouble after their parents died. Mentoring you guys was another reason, but now, with all of you settled here in town, we had no reason to stay."

"Your father bought the dino cave from me and it'll be used in case of emergency. So these last couple of weeks, Jason, Trini and Kim have been working on closing up the house and bringing all the essentials here. After our mission, I went back to bring Kayla here, so she can be registered for school. She starts back next week, tomorrow, we do her back to school shopping.

"But Dad, you said that I could go back to school shopping with the girls."

Tommy gave her a look. "I said I would ask them, but nice try."

She immediately gave him puppy dog eyes and gave him a big smile. Instantly, Tommy sighed as his resolved crumbled. "You are so much like your mother."

"And that's a bad thing, Handsome?" Kim asked as she walked in.

Tommy smiled up at her. "Not at all, Beautiful. But our little Ninja inherited your ability to get her way. I guess we're going to let her go shopping with the girls."

Kimberly gave her daughter a look. "Kayla, what did I tell you about using your powers for personal gain?"

Kayla tried giving her the same look, but Kim was immune. "Don't even try, Miss Thing."

"Please Mommy? I'm gonna be in firs grade. Please?"

Katsume watched in amusement as Kayla negotiated with her mom. He'd met her before, but this was the first time seeing her work her parents over.

"Yeah, you gotta watch out for the little ninja." Kyle said in amusement. "Her powers are legendary. Also, keep your cell phone close to you. She likes to 'borrow them' without asking."

Katsume could only laugh as Kim rolled her eyes. "Duly noted."

In the end, Kayla got her way, and Autumn and Sapphire agreed to take her shopping.

It was yet another victory for The Little Ninja.

* * *

 **Later that evening**

It was just Trent and Katsume, once again in the garden.

"You want to adopt me? Like to be your son?" The teenager said in shock. "For real?"

Trent nodded. "I know it's out of left field, but it feels right. That's the reason why I left for Reefside, to get my father's blessing. You don't have to say yes, but hear me out before you shoot me down."

Katsume nodded, feeling overwhelmed.

"The main reason for this, is for protection. It's no secret that I'm loaded, you know that. But Dad is a well known millionaire and with his name, he has influence. If you agree to this, we can change your name for real and complete the change you wanted to make at the bonfire. You'll also get a set of grandparents you've never had before. They'd like to meet you eventually, when things die down. We've also employed my dad's lawyer and she's a viper, the moment that idiot violates that restraining order, we're taking him to court and taking him for everything he has."

Katsume took a deep cleansing breath. "This is more than I thought would happen. After I got arrested, I figured that I was screwed for life. No person in their right mind would want to adopt someone with a record."

"I don't exactly have a clean record myself."

Katsume nodded still unsure of himself. "Are you sure you want me? With my violent past?"

Trent nodded. "Yeah, I read the file that your caseworker gave me. I'm aware of that fight you had and that's why I asked for a second opinion and asked Ms Viper to take a look at it; and she believes that it might have been a serious miscarriage of justice. If you wanted to, we could reopen the case and even get your record expunged."

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Each one thinking deeply.

"I never thought this would happen for me."

Trent nodded, "Good things _do_ happen to people."

Katsume thought about it a moment more. "Ok, I accept. But do I have to call you Dad?"

Trent smiled, but shook his head. "Nah, you can just call me Trent."

* * *

 **I hope you all liked this chapter and will leave me some love! It means alot to me!**

 **Next chapter, the action picks up again with a rescue and a race with the cops!**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	17. Doing Good

**Happy New Years Eve to everyone! This is the last post of the year and I hope everyone has fun tonight. If you are going to drink (assuming you are 21 years and older) be safe and don't do anything stupid like Drunk Driving. If you need to get home, call an Uber or Taxi.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this last chapter of the year, it's got a little bit of everything in it including some swearing. I also want everyone to know that I don't condone speeding and outrunning the police. This is special circumstances and will lead to something awesome.**

 **Anyway, see me at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Friday**

 **Just after school**

Kyle and Autumn walked hand in hand into the cafeteria. Kyle was very relieved that this meeting didn't take place in the gym. He felt love being pushed at him by his mate and he resisted the urge to kiss her. They were at school now and PDAs were frowned upon, so he squeezed her hand in return.

The cafeteria hadn't been changed around much; the folding tables were still in place and by the lunch line, a banquet table had been put out with it's decorative table cloth in place and it was laden with refreshments.

The Miscreants had just found an empty table near the exit when Katsume looked up and saw Elisa wheeling over towards them in her chair. It wasn't something she did often, but on her weaker days, it was a godsend. Katsume waved at her and then his smile fell at the older guy pushing her towards them…he was wearing camo pants and an a shirt with the logo for the United States Navy. Beside him, was a younger man with…oh shit. A t-shirt with the their football team logo on the front.

Katsume swallowed hard and stood as they approached.

Kyle grinned at what was about to happen, and Rook shifted in his seat. "I'm right here, Paladin." He said in support.

"Thanks, Rook." He murmured back.

Elisa looked mortified and she was giving him an apologetic look. He gave her an easy smile, but then stood up and looked both brothers in the eyes.

"Hey guys. I'm Katsume Fernandez. It's nice to meet you."

"So, you're the young man who thinks he's good enough to date our sister. "The guy in the football shirt said.

Katsume looked at them calmly. "Before you drag me over the coals and it's your right to, can I at least say that I haven't had the chance to ask her out. I was planning to find some way of contacting you to ask your permission."

The older brother looked at him in surprise.

"I'm not like the other guys that would go behind your back and take advantage of her. I've got more respect for her than that."

The younger brother gave him a dubious look.

"And how can we know that?"

Katsume frowned at him, not ready to divulge that part of him that. That pain was still a little too fresh.

"Gentleman, that's enough." Trent said as he approached them. "My son doesn't have to divulge that part of himself to you."

The older brother had caught on quickly and he backed down.

"I think you can both agree that this place isn't the best place to talk this out, if you'd like we can continue this at the restaurant of your choice; it'll be my treat."

The older brother nodded in agreement. "It'll have to be tomorrow, I have to be back on ship by Monday."

Trent nodded. "Done, now why don't we leave these guys to hang out and we can go exchange phone numbers and make plans."

Katsume sighed as the 'Trent led the brothers away.

"I'm so sorry Katsume." Elisa apologized to him. "I didn't expect them to do that so soon."

Paladin grinned at her. "Don't sweat it. I had a feeling it would happen sooner or later, when I finally get the chance to properly ask you to be my special lady."

Elisa broke out in a happy smile and was about to say something more when Principle Mathews started the meeting.

* * *

"I would like to thank all of you for showing up to this open forum. It means a lot that so many of you parents made the time to be here." He glanced at all of them and continued.

"As I hope you read the newsletter I sent out, I've thrown down a challenge for all of our highschool students. It's been rough this past year and I challenged each and everyone of the students to come up with ways to spread good vibes around this school and in turn this city around."

"So, what are you trying do with all this hippie shit." Said a butch looking man as he stood up. "Is that what you brought us here about? To hold hands and sing campfire songs?"

"No, that's not it." Said a new face. Everyone turned to see none other than the Red space ranger and the White ranger.

The butch guy whom had spoken looked shocked. "Are you guys really still here?"

Andros looked at the man and sighed. As he lifted his hands to remove his helmet, the White Ranger stopped him.

"No, I'm going to take the lead on this one. I think I've earned it."

Andros nodded and stepped back.

The White Ranger walked over to the principle who looked just as shocked. "May I, Mr. Matthews?"

The principle could only nod as the ranger picked up the mic and held it up in front of the mask.

"Yes, we're still here, though we retired from the fight and let the next generation take over. Once our enemy was defeated, we all settled down, had families and assimilated. Up until we got wind of the parasite known as the TSA, we were happy to just put down roots and live our lives.

The moment we found out, we called whatever rangers were available and converged on this city to destroy the TSA and eradicate the problem. Even though the threat is gone, this city is wrecked. We got rid of the cancer, but Angel Grove needs to heal and get back on its feet."

As he said this, Andros walked up to him. "That is why I was so happy to hear about Principle Matthews' challenge and I want to encourage the students here to go all out, every ranger out there is watching what you'll do. I know you've all got it in you to make this city something to be proud of again."

"And what's so wrong with the way it is now?" The man challenged. "What's wrong with a little…natural selection?"

Autumn felt her mate's anger flare to life. She put both arms around him and held him close to her chest in an attempt to calm Kyle down. He was shaking with anger and even she couldn't help but feel her own anger surge.

"Corazon, let go of me." He demanded in a gritty voice. "I don't wanna hurt you."

"No, he's not worth it!" She replied tearesly. In the next moment she was flooding their bond with every bit of love and comfort she had, and Kyle all but collapsed against her. This was something they'd practiced in their quiet moments; it worked both ways and today, it was his safe haven.

While all this was going on, Rocky stood up from his seat and faced the idiot. "So tell me, my son was part of this 'natural selection' that you're talking about? If Mr. True-heart hadn't acted so quickly, my boy could have bled out on the floor of the boy's locker room. It took him _months_ to recover from the trauma he suffered. Is that what _natural selection_ is to you?"

"Careful how you answer that, sir." The white ranger said in a dark voice. "I may have retired, but I can still kick ass." Just in the distance, an ethereal screech of a falcon could be heard. Conner just knew that under the helmet, his uncle's eyes were glowing green.

The man just shook his head and grabbed his son's arm and dragged him out of the room. Elisa only shook her head, seeing her ex leaving with his father. She breathed a sigh of relief and a second later felt Katsume's arms wrap around her in comfort.

She loved it and rested her head on his shoulder.

When the man was gone, Principle Matthew took control of the situation. "Thank you, Rangers for being here." Turning to the parents, he added. "If any of you feel the same way, please feel free to leave. I won't think any less of you."

"He doesn't represent us." A dark skinned man with fancy dreads said said as he stood up. "The truth is that any of our boys could have been the victim, could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. We need a fresh start and I for one am willing to listen to any ideas that you guys can come up with."

There were murmurs of agreement from many parents in the crowd.

Tommy fought to remain calm and Andros squeezed his arm in comfort. He leaned in close. "Deep breathes, buddy. You can do it."

Principle Matthews, to his credit, kept his calm the whole time.

"Ok then, let's get this meeting back on track."

* * *

 **20 minutes later**

Principle Matthews looked frustrated as answered the very annoying parent at the meeting.

The teenager who presented the idea for the battle of the bands had done so in a very well mannered and informed way and everyone had liked the idea. However, it hadn't taken more than 5 minutes for a very irritating parent to nitpick and now the teenager looked like she was ready to cry.

Principle Matthews sighed and took the parent on.

"Yes, I'm aware that not everyone is on the same income level. The students will all operate on a level playing field. Every group will be given the same opportunities and resources and the rules of this challenge will be written in such a way that anyone can participate."

"Please guys, this challenge is supposed to be fun for the kids," Skull said as he stood up. "If we keep fighting like this, it will become about us parents and take away from the light-hearted fun that this is supposed to be about."

"I agree with Skull. This is supposed to be for the kids and not us. If we keep bickering like a couple of soccer moms, it'll ruin the fun for the students." Adam looked at principle. "I move to make it illegal for the parents to be directly involved in the creative process. Let the kids negotiate, barter, and work together. What better way for them to learn how the real-world works?"

"Aren't you cutting off your own foot by suggesting that? The first parent asked.

Adam shook his head. "Not at all. My daughter is very talented and I'm sure the other kids are just as gifted. Why not give them the chance to show them off?"

Skull nodded in agreement. "I second that. Let the kids work it out amongst themselves. This could be loads of fun for them."

Principle Matthew was smiling at them. "Alright then. All in favor say Aye."

A chorus of 'ayes' filled the lunch room.

"I feel so lost…" Kyle murmured as his focus returned to the meeting.

"That's okay." Katsume answered. "Pretty much, that girl we spoke to at the mall suggested an epic battle of the bands, lip sync edition; with the works and the proceeds go to various charities like Toys for Tots, the food pantry, the children's hospital and even the Paws and Claws pet rescue. The details need to be hammered out but by next week, an official rule book will be posted online. And a few will be printed out for those who don't have access to the internet."

"Huh, this should be interesting." Kyle said.

That's an understatement. Katsume replied. When the meeting let out, the parents found their kids and spent a few moments chatting.

"So, what are you kids going to do after this?"

We're headed to the Animal Shelter to meet with Bonnie and discuss the fashion show they're putting on. It's to give the adoptable pets more exposure in hopes of completely emptying out the shelter.

Rocky gave his son a long look. "That's something I didn't expect…you're really going to dress up for this?"

Kyle gave him a small smile. "Yeah, Halloween costumes and it's for a good cause; I don't mind showing off my handsome features to help empty out the shelters."

Aisha grinned at him. "Yep, you're definitely my son."

Rocky smiled at him. "Alright then, be safe and get home at a decent hour. If you need anything, call us."

"We will, Dad. See you guys at home."

* * *

 **Angel Grove parking lot**

The teens stood in a small circle in front of their vehicles. "Dude, you at 100 percent?" Rook asked as he programmed the address for the Shelter into his GPS.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Anyone else have any questions?"

When everyone had shaken their heads, he nodded. "Alright then. Miscreants, roll out!"

"Is that our new catchphrase?" Asked Paladin.

"Yep, now let's go be heroes!"

Cold-Stone shook his head in amusement but then held open the door for his girlfriend and then climbed in to the driver seat. Since he and Nocturne knew the way, he was the one to lead them out of the parking lot.

* * *

 **Rook's Jeep**

They were about halfway to the shelter when it happened.

They were passing through the middle-class side of town when they caught sight of something that made Paladin swear loudly. A beat up truck with no visible license plate was parked next to an old foreclosed home. A couple of people wearing bandanas over their faces were hauling a bleeding dog out of the bed. "Sonofabitch." Rook added as they tossed the bulky dog to the ground. They didn't dare make themselves known, but could only watched in horror as the bigger dude, pulled out a gun and shot the dog when it tried to get up. The dog fell to the ground and didn't move anymore. The only way they could see that it was alive was that it tail thumped heavily on the ground.

The moment the truck screeched away, Rook and Katsume hit the ground running.

They rushed up to the dog and quickly began to assess him.

"Hey, dude, are you alive?" Rook asked as Katsume checked the dog over.

"Rook, it's a female, looks like she's recently had a littler."

"I found the wound, it doesn't look like those thugs hit any major arteries."

Without even thinking, Paladin pulled his shirt over his head and used it to staunch the flow of blood.

"It's all right girl," Rook soothed as he took his own shirt off to use as a wrap. "We're going to help you." As if she understood that he was there to help her, she licked his face in a sloppy kiss. "That's right girl, just hang in there and we'll get you out of here."

"Here, I've got a blanket." Wyvern said as she walked up with Nocturne, they laid it on the ground and working with Cold-Stone and Pyre they put the dog on blanket. Working as a team, lifted it into the backseat of the jeep.

Paladin jumped into the backseat and strapped the dog in. A second later, Pyre climbed into the backseat on the other side and Wyvern strapped herself in to the passenger seat. Immediately she pulled out her cell and typed in a search for the nearest Vet office.

"I found one" she said as Rook peeled out of the complex and headed for the main road.

"How far?" he asked tersely.

"About 5 miles. Thank the spirits that it's an animal ER. Just go left and I'll tell you where to turn. Rook gunned it as he obeyed, and went as fast as he dared, keeping it as close to the speed limit as he could.

As one would expect, it didn't take long for a cop to see them speeding. When he just made it through a yellow light, the sirens and the flashing lights turned on.

Rook saw the lights in his rearview mirror. "Shit." He looked at Wyvern. "How far to the clinic?"

"About another mile and a half."

"Fuck it." He muttered and kept going. He was going to pay for this, he was sure of it, but this was an emergency situation. They didn't have time to deal with the cops.

With the cruisers on his tail, he kept going. A second later, he hit the button for his hazard lights. "Please, don't try those strips on me. I just got these tires!" he begged as he kept driving. Up ahead was the clinic and the teens in the back unbuckled themselves.

The moment they arrived at the clinic, Pyre and Paladin jumped out of the backseat and carried the bleeding dog in the door.

A young girl cried out as she saw them. The woman at the front desk who looked old enough to be a parent herself immediately walked up to them.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"We witnessed some thugs dumping her." Paladin answered. "She's also been shot. We've tried to stop the bleeding, we don't know how bad off she is."

"Ok, come right in. You're extremely lucky that we're not that busy."

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the Miscreants, mainly Rook were going up against the angry cop.

"So, what's the emergency? I'm assuming you had a reason going so fast?"

Rook nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't risk my license for just anything. We saw that dog being dumped and then shot. I just had to try and save her life. Before you cuff and stuff me, can I at least offer my proof?"

"Cut him loose." Officer Tesla said as he arrived. "I know this teen, he's not going to be any trouble for us." He pulled out his notebook and pulled out a pin. "So, tell me everything. I'm also assuming that you've got more video surveillance?"

"Yeah, I got it all on tape."

* * *

"She's going to live." The veterinarian said in a sure voice. "No nicked arteries and the bullet will be easy to remove once we get some good pain meds on board."

Paladin looked relieved as he kept petting the dog's head. "Good, I'm glad to hear that. When we saw her lying on the ground, we thought the worst."

"So, you're just good Samaritans?" the vet asked as she cleaned the last wound. Dr. Imogen Reid was the last person anyone would expect to be an animal doctor. She was very nearly 6 feet tall and intimating; at first, Pyre was scared of her, but when he saw how gently she handled the dog's care, he quickly changed his opinion of her. Paladin on the other hand seemed completely at ease around the doctor. She had curly auburn hair that was put up in a bun and her piercing green eyes were solely focused on the dog as she put down the clamp that had been using to hold the sterilized sponge as she cleaned the last of the blood out.

"No, we're just a couple of Miscreants who have a soft spot for animals."

"Miscreants, is that some kind of gang name that rescues furry creatures?"

Nah, we're just a group of friends that want to help out." Paladin said with a smile. I'm not a stranger to any of this, back in LA I worked for a rescue, this isn't the first wounded dog I've helped.

"Well, you saved this girl's life." Imogen said as she began to wrap up the wound. "It'll take some time for her to recover, but she'll be fine. And don't worry about paying, we have a donation fund set up for cases like this."

They helped her wrap up the dog and as they were putting her into the larger cage with a thick blanket, officer Tesla walked in.

"When you guys get done here, I'll need to take some statements from all of you."

It didn't take that long to get all their statements. The officer gave the teenagers a calculating look but said nothing as he handed the vet his business card.

"When he was gone, the vet handed them a clipboard and a magic marker. "You guys saved her life, so you get to name her.

"Well, it should be a tough name," Pyre said. "She survived an attempt on her life."

"Buttercup?" Paladin suggested with a grin.

Pyre grinned at him. "Princess Buttercup!"

Dr. Imogen grinned at them. "Is that what you're going with?"

Pyre nodded. "Yeah, just keep those R.O.U.S's away from her. With a name like that, who wouldn't want to adopt her?"

Paladin looked down at Buttercup again. "Can you keep us in the loop about her?"

Dr. Imogen nodded. "Yeah, here's my card."

With business cards in hand, they walked out, only realizing at the last moment that they were both shirtless.

"Well, we can always get new shirts at Walmart, or we can just keep a duffle bag under the seat with plain t-shirts on them.

"Or you can just take these." Trent said as he leaned against the jeep with two plain white tees in his hands. "You guys got off with a warning, but I wouldn't press your luck again."

As the teens put the shirts on, he continued. "How's the dog?"

"We named her Princess Buttercup. She'll be fine now that Dr. Imogen is taking care of her."

Trent nodded. Ok, now that this minor incident is handled, you should get going to the Shelter and this time, let's keep to the speed limit."

* * *

 **So, what did everyone think? Leave me a review and I'll see you all next year!**


	18. Plans and Propositions

**Back again!**

 **Thank you all for being so patient. This chapter took me a while to get right, but I'm happy with how this chapter came out. I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Be ready for some angst and funny moments!**

 **There's no real warnings here, so read on and I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Paws and Claws Rescue Center**

The Miscreants walked through the front doors looking just a little worn out.

"You're late." Bonny said as she walked around the corner. She paused as she saw the teenagers. "Are you kids okay?"

Leif looked at her. "Yeah, we got sidelined saving a dog on the way here." He took a few minutes to give her the basics of what had just happened, and she listened with rapt attention.

"I know them." She said when he finished. "I'll put in a call to them and when Buttercup is fixed up, she'll come here. She'll stand a better chance of being adopted with us."

After a few seconds she looked them all over with a shrewd eye. "There is something different about you." She said in a speculative voice. Even you two." She added looking at the goths.

Leif shrugged. "It's nothing huge, Sapphire and I joined a crew. We're Miscreants now."

They followed her over to a meeting area and were seated and Bonnie gave them all another look and then her eyes widened when she recognized Kyle and Autumn. "I remember you two. You adopted Apollo and Athena. How are those puppies?"

Kyle grinned at her. "They're living the dream. We've acquired another dog on the premises, so now they have a pack to run with; they're over the top happy."

Bonnie grinned at them. "That's awesome." She looked at Katsume. "You look familiar too. Where have I seen you before?"

"I used to volunteer at Paw Prints Animal Rescue in Los Angeles."

Bonnie nodded. "Then you know the ins and outs of animal rescue?"

"Yeah, it's not always pleasant, but scoring a win once in a while makes it all worth it."

"He's downplaying himself. Do you remember seeing that video online about Beatrice? That pittie with only three legs and half a tail?"

Bonnie nodded.

"Katsume was the one who got her adopted."

The Asian teen ducked his head. "That was a small miracle. I didn't know if I'd ever find a home for her."

"Well then, welcome to Paws and Claws, I think you'll be a good luck charm around here. Did Leif and Sapphire give you the basics of what the upcoming event is about?"

Katsume nodded. "Yeah, it's a fashion show, Halloween style. It's supposed to give the adoptees more exposure. I've read about this kind of thing before, but have never participated in one."

Bonnie nodded. "Exactly. The main reason I wanted to do this, is that the old way of simply setting up a tent and putting out flyers isn't getting us anywhere and there are so many animals, like the older residents and those with disabilities that get overlooked on the way to the puppy and kitten room.

We have so many sweet dogs and cats that would make good pets, but they're stuck all day in the kennels and I strongly feel that if they got time in the spotlight and a chance to strut themselves around, people would see them in a better light." She paused to take a breath and then sighed.

"Now, comes the issue of money. To be blunt, there _is_ no budget for costumes. Every dollar from donations goes to food and medical care, so if we do this- and I'll help where I can-we're on our own." She gave them all a long look. "Knowing this, are you all still willing to help me out?"

Autumn nodded. "Yeah, we can come up with our own costumes, we've got years of them in our closets, and no one said they had to be elaborate. We can also scour the Goodwill and other thrift stores for pieces that can be dressed up with sequins and stuff."

Bonnie looked relieved. "This sounds like an amazing start. Now, I have something that might help you out," She pulled out a binder. "I have pulled the records of the all the adoptable animals that I want to show off." She handed the binder over and then added. "In the back, pocket I have some printable coupons to some of the stores that might help you guys out."

They all took some time to look through the pictures, with the exception of Leif and Sapphire who knew the animals by heart.

It was the basic mix they expected; mostly mutts with some Pitbulls and Chihuahuas mixed in here and there and they were shocked to see a Rottweiler and Doberman in the book.

"These last two…Mason and Anubis…those aren't common stray dogs." Katsume commented as he looked up at the head of the shelter.

Bonnie looked sad. "Owner Surrenders, I'm afraid. The Rottie...Mason, got out of his yard and was hit by a UPS truck. His owners ditched him when they found out he lost the use of his back legs. He's got so much love to give, and he's got plenty of spirit, but his body is broken."

"As for Anubis, he just got old and lost sight in one of his eyes, at least according to his owners. The thing is, he's not as old as they said. he's only 8 and has plenty of time left."

"I think they just wanted a puppy instead, so they surrendered him." Leif answered in a biting voice.

"But he's so cute! How could they dump him?" Autumn asked.

Bonnie frowned. "That's a question I can't answer, people can be so fickle."

"Well, can we meet him?" Katsume asked.

Bonnie nodded with a hopeful smile. "Yep, right back here!"

* * *

 **About an hour later**

They all walked out the door with ideas swirling around in their heads. There were so many dogs in need of their help! Bonnie had gifted the new volunteers with swag- mainly T-shirts with the rescue logo on the front.

"We should totally get our nicknames on the back." Autumn said. "When we go to the craft store, we can pick up some extra lettering."

"That's an awesome idea." Sapphire answered. "I was thinking the same thing when we first got our shirts, we just never got around to it."

The guys were in their own huddle as they approached the vehicles. "I've always wanted to create of those canine wheelchairs. I've seen it on the internet a few times, and it looks like a nice challenge. I just know that Mason would get adopted if he had his own wheels."

"We should pimp it up too. Make it look as badass as possible, maybe even add some undercarriage LEDs and chrome it up. We can go to the junkyard to find parts if we need to." Rook said.

"Guys, do we even know if he'll use it?" Katsume asked.

"That Rottie has so much energy and drive." Leif answered. "We get him his own set of wheels and he'll be giving _Vin Diesel_ a run for his money."

"Then let's do it and for the show, you can be an auto-mechanic. That's an easy costume to put together and it'll be something you can just slip on in a minute or two."

"Oh I can see that." Sapphire said with a grin. Maybe tie sleeves together around the waist and at in a smudged up tank-top. You should go full Fast and Furious, it'll get that big baby some attention."

"Or you just like showing off your sexy boyfriend…"

Sapphire gave him a look. "Yeah, but I do that every day. But, at the show, you can use your sexiness for a good cause."

"Ok, you two lovebirds, break it up." Rook said as he climbed into his jeep. "Let's get back to the Manor. We're going to be facing an inquiry when we get there."

* * *

 **The Manor**

Rook was right.

When they walked in the door, after taking off their shoes, they found the adults sitting around the table waiting for them.

"Looks like the Need for Speed Crew is all here." Rocky said as they walked into the kitchen. All the parents were present, including Alma and Iris and a man none of them had really met before. His name was Axel and he didn't look happy...at all.

"When I gave you that jeep," Axel said, "I didn't plan on it being used to outrun the police. What were you thinking?" Rook's father was a stocky man with a full head of hair. No one would doubt that he used to be in a rock band as he still sported his flaming bandana on his head and he had a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a spotless black shirt and worn looking blue jeans.

Rook looked at his father. "Yeah, I didn't plan on it either, but Buttercup was severely injured, she was slowly bleeding out and the emergency hospital was only a mile away. If we'd gotten pulled over, the cops would have taken forever and she'd have died."

"Or we could have gotten you a police escort." Officer Kelmen said from beside Axel. "We're not in the habit of letting victims bleed out."

"Sorry Officer, But my trust in the Angel Grove PD is non-existent. They've done _nothing_ to fix that. I'm not about to trust them when a life is on the line…especially not an innocent dog with a gunshot wound.

Officer Kelman nodded. "You've got a point there. That's why I'm really here. Officer Tesla gave me a call earlier and we had a nice long talk. He's brewing up something that involves you guys. I've been pulled away from my desk job to be the negotiator between the department and your parents."

"And what would the police department want with us?" Kyle said looking extra skeptical.

"It's a task force thing, and if we can hammer it out, I'll be your handler and it would be a fair trade for letting you guys off with a warning for the police chase today."

"Let's skip to the end where I say no, and you can tell them that I'm not interested." Kyle said feeling his anger well up.

"Kyle, Bro. It's not up to you." Rook said slowly. "That's not how we do things in our crew; we put it up to a vote and to do that, we should at least wait till we hear the proposition."

"He's right, Kyle." Autumn said in a softer tone. "I don't trust the police either, but we just became a crew, and this is not how I want to start things out."

Her gentle words got through to him in a second and he felt her love through their bond. He sighed and frowned at the officer. "Fine, we'll put it to the vote, but I'm still not agreeing to anything." Then he walked out of the room with Autumn following him.

Rook looked at the adults again and he noted that Officer Kelmen didn't look angry, he looked sad instead.

"So, what happened at the shelter?" Axel asked, breaking the moment up.

Needless to say, the rest of the crew slept in the manor that night.

* * *

 **The Trailer**

Autumn sat calmly on the bed as her angsty boyfriend paced back and forth in front of her raging.

"Those bozos really think I'm going to work for them? Do anything for them after they almost let me die!" he went on cursing in a mixture of both Spanish and English and she sat through it all stoically, letting him get all his anger out of his system.

She was pretty miffed too but it didn't take more than a minute before realizing that those negative feelings were coming from his end of the bond.

She would never say it to him, but she was more intrigued by what officer Tesla had come up with than angry about what had occurred in the locker room all those months ago.

"Corazon? Are you there?" His voice was more tender now.

Autumn looked up at him. "Yeah, I'm here. I was just letting you rage before I said anything. Do you think it's all out of your system yet?"

Kyle sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I think so. I know it's not my place, but I don't want anything to do with the cops. How can we trust them after all that trouble we just went through?"

Autumn leaned into him. "I think it's important to remember that the cops that betrayed you and the ones in the office now are different people altogether. It's a whole new police department there and it wouldn't be fair to hold them responsible for what the other cops did." She put her hand on his. "I think it would only be right to let them prove themselves. We may even come to be allies with them."

Kyle kept his eyes on the floor and then he saw Autumn in his sight, kneeling on the floor in front of him.

He frowned at her. What are you doing down there? Don't be kneeling on the floor like a servant."

"I had to get your attention somehow, Mi amore."

"Well, you have it. What now?"

She got up and gently pushed him onto the bed. "I think you know. Don't fight me, I'm going to take over now."

"Yes…."

* * *

 **The next morning**

Kyle and Autumn walked into the kitchen looking a little better than the night before. They found their crew sitting around the breakfast table with Kayla in the mix.

When she looked up at them, it was in concern. "Are you okay? Did the birds and the bees get you?"

Autumn gave her a weird look, but then then looked at the others. "Yeah, little Ninja. We're both feeling better after a good night's sleep."

"There's a lot of sleeping happening around here." She narrowed her eyes at them. "Are you guys making a baby? Cause there's already a lot of them around here. We don't need any more right now."

Kyle had poured a glass of milk and was taking a drink when she said that. His eyes widened and he spit up the milk in a glorious white spray. Autumn laughed out loud at her and the rest of the team just shook their heads at the hilarious moment.

Thankfully she recovered first, and she knelt down to Kayla's level. "No, Little Ninja. We're way too young for that yet. Before we do that, we need to graduate high school and get married. We've got _loads_ of time before we take that step."

Kayla seemed to take them at their word, and she continued to page through the binder laying on the table.

With that moment over, Kyle began to wipe the counter down with a bemused expression on his face.

"So, are we still going shopping?" Autumn asked smoothly. "Do you know what you want to buy for your new wardrobe?

"There's not enough green in my closet…and I can't keep wearing this hoodie every day." As she said this, she looked up seeing her dad in the hallway. He stood stock still with a surprised look on his face.

"Oh, hi Dad! Morning!"

Tommy seemed to recover quickly; he kissed the top of her head and hugged her tight. "I sure hope that you keep some pink in your wardrobe too. It would make your mom very happy."

"Of course, Daddy. I just want to wear more green this year. I'm not leaving Mommy out of it! Do you think she'll be mad?"

"No sweetie, I'm not mad." Kimberly said as she walked in with a sleeping bundle in her arms. When Tommy offered, she handed the baby off to his father and continued to the fridge looking for something to eat.

"I'm fine with you wearing green or pink or whatever color you want. They're your clothes and you'll be the one wearing them."

Kayla gave her mom a long look. "Does me wearing green mean I'm gonna be a green power ranger soon…like Dad?"

Tommy went eerily still and Kim took a shaky breath as she stood back up.

Kayla gave them a confused look and Tommy was the first one to snap out of it. He sat down in the chair holding Mav close to him. "Your mom and I love you and your brother very much, and I'm not saying that I'd be angry if you were, but the thought of it scares us. Being a Power Ranger is a very big responsibility and what you saw of Connor, Kira, Ethan, Trent, and I do was just a small part of it. Yeah, we got to pilot big Dino Zords and kick evil's butt. But we also got beat up in the process. So, we're not saying that you couldn't do it, we just don't want you to get hurt."

"But what if it does happen?" She asked looking worried.

Kimberly knelt next to her daughter. "Then you'll have a whole lot of backup, and a hell of a team with you."

"Count on it." Kyle added. "If you somehow land in the spandex, then we'll jump in with you."

"There, you see?" Kimberly added. "Awesome backup! Now, let's get back to the subject of shopping! What car are you taking? This is an important day!"

Leif grinned. "Well, this most awesome Ninja has talked me into driving her in the Moon Racer. She knows an awesome vehicle when she sees one."

Rook only rolled his eyes. "Yes, she would be excited to ride in a car named after a fictitious stop motion King of Misfit toys."

Leif smirked at him. "Yeah, but that's also because you drive a jeep…and once you've ridden in one jeep, you've ridden in all of them. There's nothing awesome about riding in an open window death trap."

Kayla looked at her dad. "You mean that Jeep is gonna kill us?"

Tommy handed the baby off to his wife. "No Sweetheart. It's the driver, not the car that could kill us. My jeep is just as good as any of them. He gave her a serious look. "What you're seeing is called a rivalry. It's the teenage version of the one between Fords and Chevys. Remember what I told you about that?"

"It's not the car, it's how you drive it…and to never go over 50 miles an hour without a 5 point harness and a roll cage."

Tommy chuckled. "Yeah, that's close enough. Now, are you all set to go shopping?"

"Yeah, I just have to go brush my teeth and get my purse!" Kayla answered. Tommy smiled at her and pulled out his wallet. He took out a twenty and handed it to her. "Well, here's some extra cash. The money we're giving to Autumn and Sapphire is for clothes. This is for you to buy something that you really want. Make sure you put this right into your wallet, ok?"

Kayla's eyes got really big. "Thanks Daddy!" She gave him a big hug and he chuckled at her before squeezing her tightly.

When she ran off to her room, his face morphed into a concerned one. He got up and leaned against the counter. A second later, Kim was hugging him; now their expressions mirrored each other.

Kyle looked at them. "I meant what I said before. I'd happily throw myself into the spandex before she'd have a chance to decide. Id' also kick the ass of any monster that tried to come after her."

Tommy closed his eyes as if to fight off a minor panic attack.

"We all would." Autumn agreed. "We'd do anything it took to protect her."

Kimberly kissed Tommy softly before leading him out of the room.

"Well, that came out of left field." Leif said softly. "That sounds like a war story to me."

"Yeah, it is, but I'll wait till we're in the minibus to tell you about it."

"Ok, I'll go bring the car around."

* * *

Katsume watched them leave. Rook had gone to the shelter to take measurements of the Rottie for his wheelchair and so it was just him as he sat at the table.

A few moments passed when Trent came down the stairs with a set of keys in his hands. They weren't his usual very classy set that he kept for his own car. No these were the ones for _'The Carlita'._

"What's going on?" Katsume asked as he got up.

"We've had a slight change of plans with the lunch today. The wheelchair van that Elisa and her brothers use broke down in their driveway. We're going to pick them up in the hummer limo."

"Now? I thought we weren't having lunch with them till 2?"

"We still are, but this presents and good opportunity to teach an important life lesson. Now, get your shoes on."

* * *

 **So, what did you think? Leave me some reviews along with some costume ideas for our adoptees! What would you like to see at the show?**


	19. A Crash Course in Chivalry

**Hi everyone!**

 **There's not much I need to say for this chapter as it's pretty much just Trent/Katsume stuff and there's no trigger warnings either.**

 **I'll just let you get to it and I'll see you at the bottom.**

* * *

When the went outside, they saw _La Carlita_ was already in the driveway with Rocky leaning against her. Other than the Garcia Brothers, only he, Adam, and Tommy had the special license to drive the hummer limo, so he would be acting as the driver today.

As they appeared, Rocky stood up straight. "So, are we ready to get this party started?"

"Yep! Start her up!" Trent said as he walked over to passenger side and opened the door. When Katsume walked up to him. Trent stopped him.

"Your lessons in chivalry start now. First lesson is that ladies are always first. Today is an informal lunch, but later when you're taking that beautiful lady out somewhere, you open the door for her and if you're driving a vehicle such as a truck or a hummer, you offer them some assistance; don't wait for them to ask."

Katsume nodded as Trent held open his hand and raised an eyebrow. It was weird, but the teenager took the offered hand and climbed into the Hummer Limo.

"Trent, I thought chivalry was dead."

"It might be for those uncultured men who are only into dating to have one-night stands. Real gentlemen will go the extra mile to make their women feel like they're something special. That's what courtesy is and today, when we go to pick up Elisa and her brothers, that's what they'll be watching for."

Katsume nodded. "Okay, chivalry lesson two is…"

Trent thought for a second. "Opening doors for your date is another custom. Again, ladies first, you hold it open for them and wait for them to enter before you walk through it yourself. Also, if you find yourself out for a walk with your date and you're next to a street, you walk next to the street and she walks on the inside."

"Really?" Katsume gave him a skeptical look. "Why does it matter if she's walking on the outside or inside?"

"In the old days, like before indoor plumbing was a thing, the household servants would empty out chamber pots and garbage out the window, so if a lady were to walk on the outside, she might get doused with toilet water and other gross things. If you really care about that special lady, you'd make sure that didn't happen to her. These days, it might be something simple as some moron driver going too fast through a deep puddle. It happens, and if you are on the outside, it'll only hit you. It's easier for you to change clothes than for her." Trent paused and looked at his charge. "You with me?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now, a few more things. When you take your special lady on a date you pay for everything and that includes a tip, which I'll teach you about tonight when we go to that restaurant. The only exception to this is if she wants to 'go Dutch'. If you're 'going Dutch,' you split the bill with your date."

Katsume nodded. "So, open up doors for the ladies, pay for the dates unless you're going to split the bill, show up in a clean car, and protect her from idiots driving on the road. Got it, anything else?"

Trent nodded soberly and leaned forward. "It's the most important thing to remember."

Katsume was listening to him with rapt attention. "Yeah?"

"No matter what, don't forget who you are. That lost orphan you were back in that hospital room is dead and gone. You're Paladin now and soon to be my son, I'll expect you to act like it from now on. When we greet her brothers and they reach out to shake your hand. You make eye contact and shake his hand firmly. Speak to him with respect but hold your ground."

Katsume nodded and then sat up straight; in that moment, Trent could see a subtle shift in his demeanor. When his adopted son looked up at him again, he could see that Katsume had taken his words to heart and had finally accepted everything he'd said.

"Thanks Trent, that means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, Son."

"Hey, guys, I hate to break up this male bonding moment, but we're here at the car wash." Rocky said with a smile on his face.

Trent nodded and then cracked a smile "Now, the fun begins, it's time to wash the hummer. Let's get to it!"

* * *

It only took about 30 minutes with the three of them working together to detail the hummer. By the time they were done, La Carlita glimmered in the sun. Katsume tossed the paper towel into the trash and turned to his mentor.

"Now what? We're going to fill up the mini bar with booze?"

Trent gave him a wry look. "Not even close, Son. Water maybe, but there's no need to tempt a recovering alcoholic."

Katsume's heart jumped in his chest when he heard Trent call him 'Son'. It wasn't the first time he'd heard it, but after all this time, it was still something that made him feel awesome. Still, he was a dude and he would not start crying like a girl right now.

"Yeah. That wouldn't look good to her brothers either."

Rocky made his reappearance. "For a casual ride, Sirs, might I suggest the classy glass bottles of Coke-a-Cola and Sprite." He told them with a goofy grin. "I was planning to make a run to the store anyway."

Trent looked at his watch. "We still have an hour and a half. We should have plenty of time to get what we need at the store and to go home and shower." He grinned at Katsume. "One of the perks of being a man is that we don't need nearly as long to get ready as the women."

"This is very true." Rocky agreed. "Just don't say that around them or you'll instantly regret it."

Trent walked up to the side of the hummer and opened the door and Katsume stepped in. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

 **An hour later**

 **The Kitchen**

Trent stood with Katsume in the kitchen as he inspected the young man who would soon be his son. They'd not taken long to clean up and dress in casual clothes and that included Rocky and Adam who had volunteered to be footman for this trip.

"Do I pass inspection?" He asked.

Trent made him turn in a circle and when he'd completed one revolution, Trent smiled and nodded. "Yep, you look good, Paladin. There's just one thing you need now."

"And what's that?"

"This." Trent answered pulling out a very small bottle of cologne. "This is the last lesson for today."

"Don't bathe in it right?"

Trent grinned at him. "Yeah, in this case, less is more. You only need enough to smell good but put too much on and she'll keel over. The women here have also made it known that Axe body spray is forbidden in the manor and anyone who dares wear it, will be made to shower again to wash it off."

He showed the bottle to Katsume. "This is a much better brand and you'll only need to dab a little bit on. I've been told by more than one woman that this is a very pleasant smell and they'd date a man that wore it. It's a little bit more pricey than what you'll find at Walmart, but as I said before, less is more and this bottle will last you at least two years."

He opened the bottle and demonstrated where it should be worn and then watched as Katsume copied him. When he handed it back to Trent, his benefactor smiled in approval.

"Now, you're ready."

"It's a good thing too," Rocky said as he descended the stairs with Adam. "Cause we're about to depart."

Katsume gave them an odd look. "Is that what chauffeurs wear?"

Rocky puffed up as Adam shook his head. "It's our version of what drivers wear. La Carlita is a fancy lady, and it would be a dishonor to wear jeans and a t-shirt while driving her.

"Not to mention that my husband loves to dress up like this." Aisha said as she walked into the room. "He's not a fan of wearing ties, so when it was our turn at the altar, I gave him free rein over the suits. He chose a mandarin and I've been a fan of them ever since."

"Not to mention that he likes the 'Neo' look. Adam added with a smirk. Though if he really wanted that look. The suit would be made of pleather and not cotton."

Aisha rolled her eyes as Tanya walked in and showed her mate a velvet box.

"Hey, you found it." Adam said with a genuine smile on his face.

"Yep, I did." She said as she opened the box and pulled out a gold pin in the shape of a frog. She lovingly pinned it to his suit where the fake pocket was and when she was done, Adam stole a kiss and then grinned when she stepped away.

Aisha smiled at her own mate and handed over his wrap around sunglasses and did the same for Adam.

After giving his wife a kiss, Rocky put his sunglasses on and grinned. "Let's get this party started."

Adam chuckled and shook his head. "Come on, Neo."

With a laugh, Trent and Katsume followed them out the door. Stopping only briefly to put on their shoes, they got into the Hummer Limo and headed to Elisa's house to pick up their guests.

* * *

 **Elisa's house**

Katsume took a deep breath and knocked on the front door. A second later, the older brother answered the door. Today he wore his casual attire and yet another t-shirt with the Navy logo on it.

"Right on time, nice to see you're so punctual." His eyes slid over Katsume and to the Fancy Hummer. "Woah, is that your ride?"

Katsume nodded. "It belongs to friends of ours, today its ours to use."

"I see. Well, let me get my sister and younger brother."

While he waited, Trent waited by the side of the Hummer with Adam and Rocky standing by to play the footman; since leaving the house, they'd both put on fingerless leather gloves. They both stood on either side of Trent with their hands folded in front of them.

"Damn, that's fancy." Said the younger brother as he walked out towards them. "I'm impressed." Katsume grinned at him. "I'm sure _she_ is flattered by the compliment."

Finally, Elisa came out in her chair being pushed by her brother. Today she wore a light pink off-the-shoulder blouse and a jean skirt with a pair of darker pink leggings and black ballet flats. Her hair was up in a pony tail and curled at the ends and she wore the barest amount of makeup. To him, she looked like a fairy maiden. All she needed was a pair of wings and a circlet and she'd be complete.

Katsume smiled at her. "Wow, you're stunning!"

She was beaming at him. "Thanks. You look awesome too!"

"Alright Katsume, make way so we can get going!" The older brother said with a smile. As they rolled down the ramp, Katsume walked ahead of them to where Trent stood and just as he'd been shown, offered his assistance to Elisa. She grinned at him as he helped her into the cab where her brothers waited to help her the rest of the way.

"When they were all seated, Trent stuck his head in. "Did you decide where you want to go to get food?"

"Logan's Steakhouse!" Elisa said eagerly. "I haven't been there for a while."

Trent looked at the big brother questioningly and he grinned. "She loves that place, and I do owe her a trip there; I have to say that it's been a while since I had a real steak. Those rations on ship aren't going to win any awards."

Trent nodded. "Then Logan's it is."

After telling Rocky where they were going, Trent climbed in and Adam folded the wheelchair and stowed it safely. When he was done, he smiled at them. "Welcome aboard La Carlita."

When the door was shut, the inner lights came on and the guys looked at them in amazement. Trent looked at them all, "The little fridge is stocked with cokes and waters, feel free to indulge while we're on the way."

"How did you afford this party bus?" Said the oldest brother. His name was Petty 1st class Hayden Lawson and he was the most intimidating.

Trent smiled. " _La Carlita_ belongs to friends of mine. At the manor, we collectively have a small fleet of jeeps, trucks and a couple sports cars and now an SUV. This pretty lady was given to my friends by The Garcia Brothers; they're small business owners who love to makeover rides when they're not doing car repairs. I was told that _La Carlita_ was bought at a cheap price from a limo company that went out of business The Garcia brothers gave her a makeover. When Kyle and Autumn needed a ride to last year's Christmas Dance, they pretty much adopted this fine lady out because they didn't have room for her in their garage. We've been using them for tune-ups and my mentor Dr. Oliver trusted them enough with his beloved Stingray and that car has a lot of sentimental value."

"Anyway, when you mentioned that you had a wheelchair in-tow, I figured it was a good time to let this sweet lady out to stretch her legs."

"Yeah, we weren't expecting for the van to quit on us." The second brother added. "I went to start it up and the battery was dead. Without the battery, that lift doesn't work."

Trent nodded in understanding. "Those batteries aren't cheap either."

Hayden shook his head. "That van wasn't top of the line to begin with. The military benefits I get don't pay for vans, not if she can still walk with aides. The model we got is from at least 10 years ago and I had to do things I'm not too proud of to afford it." He paused and looked at Trent. "I promise I'm not asking for money from you, but maybe if you could give me the number, I can bargain with them."

Trent already planned in the back of his mind to help them out, but he wouldn't tell them that. He nodded. "Yeah, I've got their number. They'll give you a fair price and they're good at what they do."

They sat in the quiet for a minute or two and then the brother turned his attention to Katsume. "So, what do you do when you're not at school?"

"I like to draw, and I'm volunteering for the Paws and Claws animal shelter. My friends and I are going to be in a fashion show at the Fall Fest. It's to show off some of the adoptable animals so they have a better chance at finding their forever homes."

"In costume?" The younger brother asked. His name was Bradley and he was on the Angel Grove Football team.

"Yeah. The ladies are taking care of that right now. Never been in a fashion show, it should be fun."

This whole time he'd been speaking Elisa had been drinking in his every word. Then she cocked her head to the side. "Wait, was that you that outran the cops yesterday? You and your crew?"

"Where did you hear about that?" Katsume asked looking like a deer in the headlights.

Elisa ducked her head. "Um, it's all over Myspace. Someone saw you guys in that jeep and the cops were chasing you."

Katsume nodded. "We didn't outrun them; they caught up to us at the animal Emergency room. We were rushing a wounded dog to the first vet office we saw. She was bleeding out on the backseat and it was me in the back trying to stop the bleeding. Once we knew she was stabilized, we faced the music and were let off with a warning after showing the cops our video evidence."

"Gunshot wound?" Bradley asked.

"Yeah, we witnessed it with our own eyes. The dog was shot at point blank range and the moment the bad guys left, we got her out of there."

"You're hard core." Bradley commented.

Katsume shrugged. "It's a group effort, I'm just glad she'll live."

A minute later, the door opened, and Adam opened the door with a grin. "We're here." He pulled the chair out and set it out for her.

* * *

 **Inside the Restaurant**

They were all seated at the restaurant with Katsume and Elisa sitting together at the end. Trent sat next to the brothers and were having a discussion of their own.

"You're not what I was expecting." Hayden said as he munched on the bucket of peanuts.

"How so?" Trent asked.

"I've noticed that a lot of parents and guardians in this city are a little more uptight and proper. You're not any of those things…"

Trent shook his head. "Nah, that's more my dad than me. As long as Katsume stays out of trouble than we're cool. I'm more about giving him an even playing field to start out on and whatever he needs to make it to adulthood. I don't really see myself as a parent."

"I feel the same way." Hayden agreed. "I'm not really parent material either. I joined the military in hopes of providing for my siblings, not that this guy really needs me." He amended looking at Bradley who was taking everything in. "It's Elisa that needs the help. She's got some medical issues and I had to go the unorthodox path just to get the medical equipment she needs."

Trent raised a brow at that. "Dancing or Centerfold?"

Hayden shook his head. "Neither. I did some modeling for a local business and somewhere out in the world, my image is floating around on the cover of some trashy romance novel. It wasn't as bad as it would have been had I become a stripper. The money was good and just enough to get the van and a brand new wheelchair. As it turns out, joining the Navy was a much better alternative and they both have medical insurance as my dependents."

Trent looked at him. "I have no idea what to say to that."

"Neither did anyone else. I guess seeing the son of such a normal couple oiled up and half naked really shattered their reality."

"Yeah, especially when Natalie Stenson found that picture of you in the bookstore." Bradley said with a laugh. "She never looked at you in the same way again."

"And that was when we were shunned by them and every other parent in the neighborhood." Hayden added in good humor. "It was worth it because that last stent as a model was enough to get what she needs. Mission accomplished."

As he said that, the waitress approached them to take their orders.

They ate in companionable silence and when they were full and satisfied, Hayden spoke up again. "So, what do you think of all this."

Trent nodded. "I'm not so different than you. Not really. The last year of my college career was spent cosplaying as part of a charity group. Their specialty was Sailor Moon and whenever needed, I donned the tuxedo and became Tuxedo Kaman. Or in the English version, Tuxedo Mask."

"Seriously?" Asked Branden.

Trent grinned at him. "Yep, I played my part to the hilt and for one little girl, it brightened her day. She was fighting some kind of cancer, and when I walked in with Sailor Moon on my arm, her face lit right up."

Hayden gave him a look of approval and in that moment, Trent could see that his plan had succeeded. When the check came, Trent gave katsume a brief lesson on calculating the tip and then paid the check.

Nothing was said as they left Logan's and piled back into the van. Once again, Katsume was careful to not forget his manners and this time, the brothers allowed him to help her into the van, but still kept an eye on him.

As they arrived back at the Lawson's house, Hayden gave Katsume one last look. "I can tell you are both good people and I can go back to my ship knowing that she'll be safe with you." He guestered to Elisa. "That's my baby sister you're with, I'll expect you to be this good to her even when we're not around."

"On my honor." Katsume replied before smiling at Elisa.

"You'd better. There's two ways of doing things; the navy way and the usual way. Guess what way I'll use to deal with you if I find out you were less than honorable towards her?"

"I hear you loud and clear." Katsume said looking him with respect. "You have my word that she'll be treated with utmost respect."

"Ok, that's good enough for me."

When Adam walked up and opened the door for them, Hayden got out with Brandon behind him. "You've got two minutes to say goodnight." Then he walked up to the ramp and into the house, leaving the door open.

Trent took his cue and stepped out of the van standing next to Adam who was unfolding the wheelchair.

Katsume took a deep breath and smiled at Elisa. "So, will you go with me to the Fall Fest? I know I'll be busy for an hour with the fashion show, but afterwards we could grab a funnel cake and spend the rest of the day together?"

I can't wait!" She said with a grin. "I'm excited to see what costumes you guys come up with!"

* * *

 **The Trailer**

 **A couple hours later**

Rook and Paladin sat in the trailer with a big sketch book on the table. Rook had arrived back at the manor about an hour after Paladin and now they sat pouring over one of the artist's big sketch pads as he drew up a basic drawing of the wheelchair that they were planning to create for Mason, the disabled Rottweiler at the shelter.

Currently on the sketch pad, a basic schematic in light pencil had taken shape on the page and they sat around discussing ideas for what parts they would need and where they could find them.

"I think we could find the wheels at a thrift store, take them off an old mountain bike or something like that. We would have to find a welder to construct the frame though."

Rook nodded as he looked up something on his laptop. Okay, so rotties are commonly about 22 to 25 inches tall and pack on about 110 and 132 pounds in weight. The wheelchair would probably need pretty heavy duty wheels."

"That sounds about the right weight of a normal teenager so the tires from a mountain bike would work. We would also need to find something durable for the harness and it would need to be something that doesn't irritate the belly seeing as how dogs don't wear clothes like we do."

"So we go with something soft." Rook replied. "Most dog crates are lined with those sheepskin blankets. We could find that kind of thing at any given pet store."

Katsume wrote that down and looked up as the door opened and the rest of the Miscreants trooped in; they all looked worn out.

"Hey guys, how did the shopping go?" Rook asked.

The girls showed them two big shopping bags. "We found at least two or three different outfits for everyone. Wyvern replied. I forgot to ask what you guy's sizes are so don't take any of the tags off till you know for sure that it fits and that you can work with it.

We kept all the receipts so we can take back anything that doesn't fit. We got really lucky that its so close to Halloween; the shops were well stocked."

Pyre walked over to the mini fridge and pulled out a few sodas. He handed them out and then looked down at the sketch pad.

"Those are the schematics for the chair?"

"Yeah, I went to the shelter and spent some time playing with the Rottie. I studied the way he moved, and his temperament and I talked with Bonnie to get some ideas. We were just discussing ideas for where we could get the parts we need for his chair."

The girls had put the bags down and now they all sat around the table looking at the drawing. "Hey, I bet we could ask the Garcia brothers for help and I bet they would have some spare parts laying around we could buy from them." Pyre said with a grin.

Cold Stone nodded. "We've got some work ahead of us, but first I need a nap."

Pyre nodded. "Words spoken by a man who has never taken Kayla to the mall. She's just full of energy." He paused and looked at Paladin. "Hey, how did lunch go?"

Paladin couldn't keep the smile off his face. "It went well and I have permission to date Elisa. I invited her to hang out after we get done with the fashion show."

"Sounds good." Pyre said approvingly. "We've got two weeks till the show, so there's no reason why we can't be ready by then."

"Yep, but first, I need a nap." Cold Stone reiterated as he headed to the bunks.

"Wuss!" Pyre shot back at him.

Cold Stone said something rude under his breath but it didn't register as he retreated to the bunk with his mate following him.

"So, let me show you what we found for you guys at the mall." Wyvern said as she pulled out the right bag.

Paladin looked at her with interest as she pulled out the first piece.

* * *

 **So there we go. Everything went fine and I'm most likely going to be doing a time jump to the time of the Fall Fest.**

 **I'll see you all then!**


	20. Making Ready

**Hi everyone!**

 **I'm so sorry for the long lag between chapters. For those that don't follow me on Facebook, I've just got through a big move and it took a while for me to settle down into the new place.**

 **I've been struggling to get back into the groove of updating my stories and I had a major block to get through. This chapter is just a little rough and it's more of a filler as the day of the Fall Fest is the chapter I've been trying to get to. (That's what I have planned for the next chapter) and I really had to fight to get through this chapter. Anyway, here it is and I hope you all enjoy it and leave a nice review for me!**

 **Now, for this chapter, there is a cussing warning along with a trigger warning for minor assult.**

 **I guess that's it for the AN, so I'll just let you get to it!**

* * *

 **One Week to the Fall Fest**

 **The Trailer**

 **Saturday**

The teens were enjoying the easy Saturday morning. The week ahead of them was going to be full. The Fall fest was one week from today and in preparation for the event, a couple of people, including a reporter from the news station was going to be doing a story on the fashion show on Wednesday and the Garcia brothers had contacted them saying that the wheel chair frame they were pimping out was almost done. All they needed was the mesh harness and they would be ready. Friday would be a dry run for the fashion show.

Mix all that with keeping up with their homework and it would definitely be a busy time for all of hem.

Today however, was meant to be a day of fun and creativity. The doors to the trailer were open wide and on the lawn in front of the trailer was a work area with its foldable tables full of everything needed for tie-dying. There were at least ten different bottles of dye, rubber bands and some plastic shopping bags.

The Miscreants had planned to just do a few shirts for themselves with their names on the back in some iron on letters they'd picked up.

That had been the plan; until the kids found out what they where up to.

So now, in addition to just the 6 plain tshirts, there were now 4 kiddie shirts, three onesies and now, a few extra white T-shirts in adult sizes because the Space Teens were fascinated and offered to help out in exchange for joining in the strange earth activity.

The Miscreants had been the ones to demonstrate the different styles and techniques. And then after their creations were sitting in the plastic bags, the Space Teens whom had picked up the techniques easily, helped the kids with their own designs.

Now, Leif and Sapphire at the table in the trailer with their shared laptop, making, of all things, a Myspace Account for their crew. They were discussing the background and widgets and even a song to put on their profile.

"Ooh, I like the grey smoky one." Sapphire said. "Either that one, or the blue lightening one that flashes."

Katsume sat behind on the couch behind them. "You know, I could probably draw us a logo with enough time to put on the profile pic. We could scan it and put it on that way."

Dude, that would be awesome!" Leif said with a grin. "It would make our page look even more epic!"

Katsume grinned, feeling excited as he went back to his bunk and pulled out his sketch book and pencils.

Sapphire pulled out a CD she'd burned earlier. "I made this last night while Leif and I were discussing the page. It's got some songs on there that I thought would be good for the page."

"Cool! A mix tape!" Kyle said peaking his head into the trailer. "The CD player is in the media cabinet. Let's hear it!"

As the CD played, the Space Teens started asking questions again.

"So, what's the point of this dying shirts thing," meranda asked. "Is it part of some kind of ritual?"

Rook, who sat with her under the awning shook his head. "No, not everything is part of a ritual. This is just a simple project that is usually reserved for kids to do at summer camp. There are some adults who do it and have made it a piece of wearable art. I made one when I went to camp as a kid. But I out grew it and I have no idea what I did with it."

"What's Summer camp?" She asked. Rook smiled at her; she was just soaking up information like a sponge!

"It's one of many kinds of camps that people hold in the summer. "The one I went to was a sleep away camp out at a ranch a few hours away from here. You go there to learn basic survival skills, including basic first aid and how people in the old days lived. We made candles, butter, and went on nature hikes. For me it was cool, because I went there with my school friends and slept in cabins. Camps can last anywhere from a week to a full summer. Mine was for two weeks and it was the most fun I'd ever had."

"Did you make s'more there?" she asked with a grin.

"Yeah, among many things. S'mores are a common treat, but we roasted ours over a camp fire in the pitch black and looked at the stars.

"I would love to try camping! You guys have so much fun here on earth!"

"You don't have that kind of thing on KO-35?"

Miranda shook her head. "No. Dad told us that the war against the alliance devastated the planet and everyone fled. These last twenty years have been focused fixing our colony and rebuilding and…replicating." As she said that, she blushed.

Rook grinned at her. "Making babies, huh?" When she gave him an embarrassed look, he hurried to reassure her. "Hey, it's not something to be ashamed of. I'm guessing you weren't part of that, or you wouldn't be so shy about that subject."

At this she bit her lip. "No, I had a boyfriend, but dad found out that he was only interested at me because I'm his daughter. It was all a ploy for power, and he dumped me in public, and then I punched him. It was really embarrassing; it's not how the daughter of an ambassadors should act."

But it is how the daughter of a ranger would handle herself." Rook answered. "He was a jerk for leading you on; you deserve better."

"Do you say that to all of the girls?" Miranda asked him skeptically. "I'm not what you earthies call 'damsel in distress.'

Rook grinned at her. "To be honest, I haven't been around many girls, that I'd be interested in. Ever sense Kyle got attacked, I've been at a bootcamp dealing with my own issues. Believe me when I say that I'm not a 'player' anymore than you're a damsel in distress."

Miranda grinned at him. "Good to know."

Meanwhile, in the trailer, the CD had transitioned to the next song.

 _ **It's all the same, only the names will change**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Everyday, it seems we're wastin' away**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Another place where the faces are so cold**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I drive all night just to get back home**_

 _ **I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I'm wanted dead or alive**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Wanted dead or alive**_

Kyle perked up as the song played. "Hey, what's this one? It sounds epic!"

Sapphire grinned at him. "It's Dead or Alive; Bon Jovi sings it. I know we're goths, but this is stuff I grew up with. I really love the sound of it."

 _ **Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days**_ _ **  
**_ _ **The people I meet always go their separate ways**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Sometimes you tell the day**_ _ **  
**_ _ **By the bottle that you drink**_ _ **  
**_ _ **And times when you're all alone all you do is think**_

"That does sound like us." Autumn commented. "Well, except for the drinking part."

 _ **I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I'm wanted (wanted) dead or alive**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Wanted (wanted) dead or alive**_

"I like it." Katsume added. "I've heard it before on the radio. I'm all for it."

As if summoned, by an unseen signal, the Miscreants stood in the trailer.

"I guess we're putting this to a vote." Kyle said. "All in favor of putting this on our profile page?"

They all agreed and Leif added it to the page. He hit the preview button and showed them all what the new profile would look like. "All we need is a group picture and we're in business."

"Maybe we should wait on that." Katsume blurted out. "We're all covered with dye and we look like a mess."

Leif's gaze shot up and Kyle gave him a long look. "That's easily fixed by taking a shower. It's going to be a while before the shirts are ready to go into the washer."

It was a reasonable answer and the sudden fear that had mounted up inside Katsume was clear to see.

Kyle immediately locked onto it and he confronted his friend. "This is something else, isn't it _Paladin."_ He laid heavily on his codename. It made Katsume's eyes shoot up from where they'd been staring at the floor.

"We're Miscreants now. We don't hide our faces and if you're worried about those assholes finding you, then you should remember that they hold no power here. In fact, I hope they come after us."

"He's right, Paladin." Rook said. "According to the law, both that cop and that teacher attacked a minor and that's against the law. They'd have to be colossal idiots to even _speak_ to you; not to mention the fact that they've both got restraining orders against them. You're completely safe and should either decide to violate that restraining order, it's a one way trip to jail and to be accused of a crime against a minor…well, they don't last long in prison."

Katsume took a deep breath unable to argue against that logic. In the next moment, he found himself being enveloped in a hug from both Autumn and Sapphire. He immediately felt better and he released a long breath. "Okay, let's get cleaned up then.

Autumn gave her boyfriend a thoughtful look. Maybe we can compromise and take a group picture from the back with our leather coats on and put our logo across the back. It would look pretty cool.

Kyle gave everyone a look. "That could work. All in favor?"

* * *

 **Paws and Claws Rescue Center**

 **The day of the interview**

"Those came out really well." Bonnie said as the teens sat in the meet-n-greet area waiting for the reporter to show up. They now sported the shirts they'd tie-dyed and had personalized. They'd all chosen Halloween colors, mostly orange, black, green, and purple.

Once the shirts had been taken from the dryer, they'd all been personalized; their code names were spelled across the back with Iron-on letters. The guys hadn't done much to the tank-tops, but the girls had shredded the hems of their v-necks and added beading for a bad ass look. To add to the bad ass look, they all wore the bandannas they'd worn to the ceremony in different fashions and the girls had both gone with braids on the sides and that's where their similarities ended and the guys all wore black jeans with rips in them and the girls had found black shorts with them. To top it all off, they wore whatever shoes they were comfortable with and the girls had done their nails in black.

Bonnie was in her official uniform with her lanyard and name badge. Her hair was simply pushed back from her head with a blue headband and she had simple studs in her ears.

"Thanks, Bonnie. We had a lot of fun making them." Kyle said with a grin.

"Well, we're as ready as we'll ever be. I just got a call from Juniper Davies. She just left with her camera crew and is on the way here. I think now would be a good time to get those furry babies out and do final walks."

"What do we want to do with Mason? Should we have him out here already?"

"I actually prepared a wagon for him. We'll have the wheelchair in time for the show, but for now, that's how we'll roll."

"Who else are we showing?" Paladin asked. "Besides Mason and Anubis?"

"We're going with Mavis and Bella and Fiona. The lady from the station said this will be about a ten-minute spot and those three could use some extra screen time."

Mavis and Bella were two long haired Chihuahuas that had been dropped off at the shelter a year before with a laundry list of medical issues and their fur had been painfully matted. Fiona was an American Pitbull terrier that was about 3 years old. She'd been dropped off by the family of her owner that had passed away. They'd not been willing to take care of her and had just surrendered her on the way out of town.

The five of them were special cases and no one had been willing to adopt any of them. It was the reason the five of them were being showcased, both at the Fall Fest and today on the news program.

"Why not go and get them ready? The last thing we need is to have one of them relieving themselves on camera."

"It didn't take more than 20 minutes for them all to be walked and by the time they got back, the news lady was there with camera and crew. They were just about set up and Juniper was just chatting with Bonnie and going over what kind of questions would be asked during the interview.

"And here are a couple of my volunteers." Bonnie said as she introduced Paladin and Cold Stone. They've just been out walking the dogs and making sure our furry stars are ready for their debut."

While this was going on, trouble was brewing in the kennels. In the back, Sapphire and Autumn were just slipping the festive collars on the two sisters.

"I don't see the leads." Autumn said looking around the kennel.

"That's strange." Sapphire said, standing back up. "I'm so sure I hung them up after putting these girls in the kennel this morning."

"I'll just go check the grooming room again." Autumn said as she walked towards the door to the kennels. "Stranger things have happened." She didn't wait for an answer as she walked away.

Sapphire bent down and slipped the decorated collar over one of the dogs. As she did, she heard the door open and thought nothing of it. As she stood up, she felt arms wrap around her; it didn't take more than a moment to realize that the hand that held her didn't have a ring on it.

"What the fuck!" She gasped as the voice laughed darkly and pulled her against a body that was too big to be Leif's.

"Let go of me!" She yelled as she struggled.

"Hello Sapphire. It's been a while! Didja miss me?"

Sapphire stopped struggling. "Richie, what the fuck do you think you're doing! Let me go!"

"Awe, is that how you talk to your old friend?"

"We're not friends, you jackass! I told you to stay away from me!"

She heard another door open and she cried out for help. Suddenly a hand was grabbing Richie's neck and his hands flew to the fist releasing Sapphire from Richie's grip. In the next moment, the jerk was on the ground and Rook planted his knee on the guy's chest.

Richie was a taller teen with a stylish brown hair. He looked like the stereotypical cocky rich kid with pricey sunglasses and a gold chain around his neck. He just _looked_ like a weasel.

"You must be deaf." Rook said darkly. "Sapphire said 'no', and that means you let go."

Leif ran into the room and held his shaken girlfriend tightly. As he did, he gave Richie a dark look. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you left town."

Rook took his knee away and yanked Richie to a sitting position. "I just got back into town; thought I'd catch up with this sexy lady." His gaze slid to Sapphire who looked pissed off. "I have _so_ missed you."

Leif looked into his girl's eyes and lightly kissed her forehead. Then he walked over to Richie he knelt down to his level; giving the assailant a dark look. "Do you not understand what that ring on her finger means? It means she's chosen me as her mate, and we've made a covenant witnessed by Lady Lilith and her Endymion. It gives me the right to beat the piss out of you for touching what's _mine!_ "

Richie laughed heartily. "You think that pussy club means anything to me? You bunch of Emos can't do shit to me!"

"But I can." Bonnie said in an angry voice. Just behind her was Juniper who looked on in shock at what was happening. "You are neither employee or volunteer; and you are putting your hands on this beautiful young woman who works for me when she clearly doesn't want you touching her."

That shut Richie up, though he did struggle to break away from Rook's grasp, but the Miscreant's military training had kicked in and he held his arms tightly. "You're not going anywhere."

"Richie Hewitt, what are you doing here?" The professionally dressed woman asked in anger. "I told you to stay at the station!" Juniper looked absolutely livid.

"What can I say?" Richie said in a cocky voice. "I heard that you were doing an interview here at the shelter and I just had to see _her_ again."

"He works for you? Leif asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, he's an intern; his dad pulled some strings to get him the position. Too bad he just ruined his chances of advancing his career in the entertainment field."

"It was worth it. I just love to watch this _slut_ freak out."

That was the last straw, and it took both Kyle and Katsume to hold Leif back. "Don't do it, Cold Stone," Rook said earnestly. "That's just what he needs, a reason to sue you for physical assault. He's not worth it."

Sapphire was just as angry. "No, he's not, but he did just physically assault me." She got into Richie's face. "I want you to know that I got everything on camera and now I'll be suing you. You have ten seconds to get out of here before I call the cops."

Riche sneered at her. "This won't be the last time you'll hear from me. You can't do shit to me!"

"And add to that a restraining order." Sapphire added. "I'm not scared of you."

Richie ran out of there like his hair on fire.

When he was gone, Leif gathered Sapphire into his arms and kissed her head.

"He'll be back." Katsume said darkly.

"We'll be ready for him." Leif replied. "I just hope he doesn't choose the fall fest to start trouble again."

Sapphire took a deep breath. "Yeah, we will, but I'm ready to get passed this. Is it too late to film the interview?"

The reporter gave her a long look. "We can postpone this, if you need time."

Sapphire shook her head. "This interview is too important to hold off on if we're going to make the fashion show a success. I'm ready to go."

Kyle gave the goth couple a long look. "Okay, but I want the back story tonight. I'll break out the s'mores. If we're going to deal with that loser, then I need to know what we're up against."

Leif nodded. "Full disclosure. I have nothing to hide."

"Ok, then." Bonnie said. "Let's get those doggies ready for the spotlight!"

* * *

 **Later that night**

"So, what's with that idiot today?" Katsume asked over his plate of s'mores.

Leif sighed. "Richie Hewitt. He wanted to be in the coven, but the Endymion had doubts. He was right when that loser started homing in on Saph. We had an altercation when he trapped her under the bleachers after gym class; I fought him and he ran off." He paused and looked at Kyle. "I think I remember all those months ago, when we first met and became friends, that I told you about me being mobbed in the locker room. Nina was behind the attack, but I found out later, that Richie was the one who led the football players to me. Richie betrayed me and after I got out of the ER, he was banned from the Coven. He moved away some time after that and I'd hoped he was gone for good. Apparently, that's not the case and I'll have to take him down all over again."

"I remember when Angel Grove was a happy place." Rook sighed. "Now there's more bullies than we can swing a bat at."

"It's true." Autumn answered. "But for now, how bout we just deal with the one that showed up today."

"Yep, but first, we've got a show to do!"

* * *

 **So, what are your thoughts on this?**

 **Before you guys say anything, remember that this story takes place before Facebook was a huge deal. Sure you guys remember MySpace, right?**

 **Anyway, song credit goes to Bon Jovi for 'Dead or Alive' and I think that's about it.**

 **I'll see you all next chapter which is the one that I've been looking forward to writing!**


	21. The Fall Fest Part 1

**Hi everyone!**

 **I'm back wiht the next chapter! This chapter is a two parter and is the chapter I was looking forward to since I began this story!**

 **One last note that I almost forgot to add. When I first created the The Mechanics, I named them Collin and Garcia, and forgot completely that Garcia was a first name not their last name and all this time, I've been calling them The Garcia Brothers. Because of that, when i wrote this chapter, I gave Garcia a first name and this will be reflected when I finally get the PDF for Christmas to Remember finished.**

 **There aren't any warnings for this chapter as it's pretty much just fun stuff along with some happy moments. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave some nice encouraging reviews!**

* * *

 **Friday Night**

 **The Manor**

"But, I want to stay with you tonight!" Kayla said using her best puppy dog eyes.

Kyle wasn't affected by it. "And leave Raine and Kailen to sleep by themselves tonight? Would you really do it?"

That deflated the little Ninja. "No, I guess not."

Kyle knelt down to her level. "I tell you what. Go sleep in the bunk room and tomorrow, I'll make you some chocolate chip waffles. We're going to be a very long day and you guys will need a lot of rest. And, if you'll go quietly, I'll get you up early so you can help me make them."

Kayla gave him a long look. "You will?"

"Yeah, I can get up that early. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for us and we gotta get an early start!"

That had been the end of the stand off and once the kids were in bed, Kyle and Autumn walked back to the trailer where the rest of the crew were already getting into their bunks.

"You do realize that she's going to hold you to that promise." Autumn said she stepped into the trailer.

"Yep, and I'm not about to incur the wrath of The Little Ninja by reneging on it!" Kyle said with a chuckle, "So sadly, there will be no messing around tonight."

"Duly noted." Autumn said with a shake of her head. "I'll have you up with the sun tomorrow morning."

* * *

 **The next morning**

True to her word, she did have her mate up early. That wasn't an easy task and only the idea of sharing a shower with her got him to comply. Today was day one of the fall fest, and their volunteer makeup crew would be waiting for them, so, there was no makeup to put on and Autumn simply gathered her hair into a ponytail and braided it. After throwing on her tie-dye t-shirt along a pair of capris and her sandals, she and Kyle, who didn't take nearly as long to get dressed, walked to the manor and up the stairs to the kid's floor.

They could only laugh, seeing the kids were already waiting for them on the fold out couch.

"Are we gonna make those waffles now?" Kailen asked them.

"Yeah, so are all of you planning to help us this morning?"

The kids nodded enthusiastically with bright smiles on their faces.

"Ok then, let's get down to the kitchen; but, you guys better do exactly as I say, we don't have time today for extra cleanup."

"We promise." Raine said with a big smile. "Daddy said we shouldn't have too much because we'll be eating more food at the fall fest."

"That's true." Autumn said as she held out her hand. "Elephant ears, funnel cakes and more fried foods that should be eaten in moderation."

"We're going to eat Elephant ears?" Kailen asked with a look of confusion.

"Nope, buddy. We're not going to eat an actual elephant. It's just called that because of how big the treat is."

Kailen took his hand trustingly. "Ok. I'm ready to go."

It took some time to get started, but when the adults descended the stairs, about an hour later, they couldn't help but smile. All the kids were wearing aprons and looking happy as they chowed down on the waffles. At some point, Kyle had also prepared some sausage patties and some eggs as Autumn wasn't in the mood for waffles.

As expected, the adults were quick to shoot some pictures of the sight, especially Eric who remarked at how happy he was to see his son so relaxed and acting like a kid.

Thanks to all the kids minding Kyle's instruction, there wasn't much of a mess to clean up; with the kitchen put to rights, the kids were sent up to their rooms to change into their play clothes which ended up being their tie-dyed t-shirts, and blue jean skorts for the girls and jean shorts for Kailen.

Finally everyone was in the SUV and Truck and headed to the fair grounds. The Miscreants, on the other hand had left earlier and of course, made a stop through the drive through because none of the other Teenagers had gotten up in time to eat.

It was when they got to the window to pay that got a little unlooked-for surprise.

"It's free today for you." The manager told them with a smile.

"Are you serious?" Rook asked with a cautious smile.

"Yeah, I saw the news report and I love that you're trying to get those puppies adopted; and I'd like to show my appreciation. So, you owe me nothing, I've already done the same for your friends in the Minibus."

"Wow! Thank you!" Rook said in surprise.

"Good Luck today! Get those puppies into new homes!"

"We'll do our best!" Rook answered as he was handed the food. "Thanks again!"

When they pulled away from the drive through, Katsume blew out a breath. "Wow, free food from a restaurant? That's never happened to me before!"

"Yeah, it's a rare thing, but not unwelcome. Now that we have our feast, let's get to the festival!"

* * *

 **Angel Grove** **Fairgrounds**

 **Staging Room**

Trent stood back with Ms. Anderson as the teenagers posed for pictures with Fiona. A couple of students from the School Newspaper were there doing an article about the fashion show and also snapping some pictures to be included in the yearbook.

The kids were handling it masterfully and doing everything they could to keep the focus off of them and on the dogs that were the real stars of the show. When they were done, the kids sat in the chairs doing their best to relax and talk amongst themselves.

Katsume was the only one with no shirt on, at least for now. For the show, Trent had applied some body paint to make the feathers look real and part of his son. His shirt would not be put on until they were ready to walk out in order to make sure that the paint wouldn't be sweated off.

After a few more minutes the walkie talkie that the school counselor carried went off and she hit the button. "Go for Anderson. Over."

"We're ready to start. Wait for the cue. Over."

"Gotcha. Let's make it happen! Over and Out."

The teens all stood to their feet with Fiona standing in the midst of them.

"Alright, Miscreants. Let's do this thing." Pyre said as he put his hand out. The teens all put their hands on his and a picture was quietly snapped as they looked intently at each other. "Let's get those Dogs adopted."

They all looked up when they heard Bonnie's voice over the loudspeakers inviting everyone to gather around the stage.

Trent quietly walked up to Paladin and handed him the plain black T-shirt and his son slipped it over his head and adjusted the dog tag around his neck along with the white bandanna that was wrapped around his head.

They all listened intently for their cue.

When they heard the pre-recorded dialog from Lief and Sapphire, they all walked over to the door with Nocturne holding Fiona's leash. The beautiful pitbull was dressed like a VIP with a Diamond studded dog collar and tag. She was in a good mood and her tail wagged calmly as Ms. Anderson opened the side door for them.

"Miscreants, roll out!" Trent said as they walked out and began the show.

* * *

 **A few minutes prior**

 **The Stage**

"Before we get started, I want to say a few words." Bonnie said as she stood front and center on the catwalk.

"First, thank you all for giving us your time as we put on this show. All the animals you'll see today are all up for adoption and have passed temperament testing with flying colors and have received shots and are fixed. There are many more pets in the Paws and Claws tent but these dogs you will see on this stage were handpicked and the teens that accompany them have spent the last two weeks bonding and building trust. God willing, things will go smoothly. After the show, the teens have agreed to stick around for the following hour so that any of you that are interested in making these awesome pups part of your family will have a chance for a meet and greet."

"These teens have worked hard to get all the costumes ready and none of the donations were used to purchase materials and make up. These teens stepped up and used their own money and time to make this show a success. "

"Lastly, as I stated before, Paws and Claws Rescue Center and Shelter is run off of donations so we welcome any and all contributions that you are able to make.

Now, I believe that we should be ready to begin.' Saying this she held her walkie talkie and spoke into it.

"Cold Stone, Nocturne, are we ready to begin?"

"Just about, Boss Lady!" Leif's voice rang out.

"What could be taking so long. I thought you were ready to begin?"

"Come on, Boss, you know it takes time to for such a lovely lady to primp and pamper."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Make it snappy, Cold Stone. We're ready to begin!"

"It's okay, Bonnie." Nocturne answered. "We're ready to get started. Cue the intro music!"

Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief and then turned on her heel and walked off to the side where a microphone had been set up for her.

Behind the scenes, a button was pushed and the fog machines began to pump out the fog and music began to play over the speakers.

The side door opened and six teens wearing all black with different colored bandanas and sunglasses walked dramatically out of the door with a very fancy looking pitbull walking in the midst of them.

This fashion show was being held in the open-air theater that featured a backstage and a catwalk. Most times it was used for poetry groups and community theater troupes to put on shows. It had been planned for the Miscreants to enter through the front and slowly walk up to the stage so that all eyes would be on them.

As the music started and the fog filled the stage, the group made their way inside and paraded up to the stage.

"And here we have the first dog up for adoption. Sadly, she came to the shelter after the death of her former owner." As Bonnie talked about her, the girls walked her up and down the catwalk showing her off and the guys faded back to get into their respective costumes.

"Fiona is believed to be about 5 years old and is a very sweet tempered dog. The term pitbull is actually an umbrella label that encompasses many different breeds. Our diva here is an American Pitbull Terrier and despite the bad rap these dogs get, they can actually be the best companion animals and back in the old times, they were called nanny dogs because of how good they were around children."

Fiona was brought in by the family of her former owner after she was killed in a car accident. She is well mannered dog that can't wait to be apart of a home and your family."

She paused and addressed the handlers. Nocturne, Wyvern. Thank you, please take her back to the dressing room.

Nocturne nodded and then she and Wyvern turned with the dog between them and walked casually back to the stage and through the curtain.

There, Paladin stood with his shirt off and his gothic necklace on For this look, he wore a pair of simple distressed black jeans and black boots. His hair had been pushed back and the art on his back had been touched up. At his side, Anubis sat with a black studded collar around his neck.

The girls gave him a thumbs up and he squared his shoulders as his cue sounded. The fog billowed again and Paladin took a deep breath before he led Anubis onto the stage looking every bit the confident dark angel he was. As he walked down the catwalk, he saw Elisa watching him and he winked at her, but then kept his focus on showing off the handsome Doberman he was walking with.

"And here we have Anubis. He's a distinguished older Doberman Pinscher. Anubis is about eight years old with plenty of life left in him. The rumor is he was surrendered by his former owners because of his old age. Hopefully, we can change his fate and find him a home with people who will love him and his laid-back nature. He's an easy-going gentleman that just wants to take over your couch and give cuddles to the lucky family that can accept him no matter his age. He's of good temperament, good health and ready to continue into his golden years.

She paused and addressed Katsume. "Thank you, Paladin. You may head backstage."

After taking one last turn to show off the Doberman, he turned on his heel and the audience got one more look at his wings before heading back through the stage curtain.

There, he saw that the girls were being inspected by their respective boyfriends and seeing that everything was ready, Kyle and Leif, who wore their tie-died tank-tops and the girls who wore flowered dresses and crowns of flowers in their flowing hair hefted the whimsically decorated litter with the small chihuahuas sitting on it onto their shoulders and slowly walked through the curtains.

"Up next, we have two small furry sisters that don't have such a pleasant backstory. These two beauties were rescued from a hoarding case with a very long list of medical issues and severely matted fur. They were taken in and given the best medical attention and months of spa treatments. Today, Mavis and Bella are in perfect health and sitting pretty on this decorated litter. These spring and summer fairies are both house trained and ready to give cuddles and kisses to their new mommies and or daddies. It is hoped they can be adopted together as they have bonded all four years of their lives. These long haired chihuahuas will need to be groomed at least once a month to keep them looking their best!"

She paused as the photographer snapped pictures.

When he was done, she dismissed the teens and once they walked behind the curtain and settled the sisters back into their shared kennel.

Mason was looking up at them with a big smile and his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. He'd been sitting comfortably on the big pillow and now as the guys got into their final costumes which consisted of mechanic's overalls, aged white tank tops and thick work boots. While the dudes got dressed in their final costumes, the girls got Mason into his chromed-out wheelchair and got his fancy color on his neck. Rookery, Coldstone, and Pyre tied the sleeves of the coveralls around their waists and pulled the tank tops over their heads. The work boots were pulled on and the final touch was to put their dog tags back on.

As they dressed, Bonnie was talking and giving them time to change.

"Before we bring out our final adoptee, I would love to give special thanks to the Garcia Brothers auto shop for donating their times and skills to help the teens fabricate the wheelchair for this dog you are about to meet."

"While we wait for the teens to make their quick costume change, I would like to also give thanks to everyone who donated their time to make this little show possible. The theater club and the AV clubs showed up early this morning to set up the lights, stage effects and music for us. I know absolutely nothing about all that technical stuff, so I owe them all a debt!

She looked again at her cards and then up at her audience. I think the last pup is just about ready, so I will just add that we've teamed up with both Petco and Dr. Imogen Ramsey to provide a special adoption package for each of the five dogs showcased today. This package includes a voucher for one six-pound bag of dog food, one free trip to the groomers and one free checkup at Dr. Ramsey's clinic."

She paused and then looked at the curtain and saw Trent who had been standing by giving her a thumbs up.

"Alright, it seems that we're ready for the final dog." She stood up a little straighter as some up beat music began playing. The lights lowered and the fog billowed again. The curtain parted and out strode Rookery, Pyre, and Cold Stone who formed a triad around Mason who pranced out in his fancy wheelchair.

"And finally, we have Mason, who's looking all kinds of awesome in his chromed-out wheelchair. This handsome stud is around 4 years old and came to us as an owner surrender. He was hit just before that by a delivery truck and his injuries led to his hind quarters being paralyzed."

"However, this handsome Rottweiler never let that stop him and he continues to be a happy boy. With his injuries, he didn't have much hope of being adopted. Now, thanks to his benefactors, he is mobile again and is ready be adopted!"

The teens slowly led Mason up and down the catwalk as she talked. His wheelchair looked extremely cool; the lights under the harness glowed a bright blue and reflected off the chrome cross-bars. The mesh harness was made of thick nylon material and lined with sheep skin to prevent chafing.

"His wheelchair is brand new and made from spare parts from a motorcycle; the LED's underneath are puppy powered and will never require a battery. His wheels are chrome plated and sure to last for years before they ever need changing!

"This is the first time in over a year that he's been completely mobile and he's ready to hit the road with his forever family!"

From the corner of his eye, Rook saw that the Garcia Brothers were seated towards the end. They were whispering to each other and by the look on their faces, he just new that they were going to snatch him up if they hadn't already.

When they were dismissed from the stage, they did so with swagger. As Bonnie wrapped up the show, the teens took some time to relax and to take the dogs to relieve themselves. After about 30 minutes they walked back out with the dogs and took up their special areas around the theater and waited for the people interested to find them.

Rook and Pyre were sitting under the special pavilion when the Garcia Brothers approached them with a manilla folder that made them give the Mechanics a surprised look.

"I hope that folder is his adoption folder." Rook said with a smile.

"Yep, it is." Collin said with a grin. "After all that time we got to spend with this boy, we can't let just anyone adopt him."

"He's fantastic." Angelo added. "He's inspired us to add a side business to our operations; Specialized wheelchairs to disabled animals. Mason will be our mascot from now on and we have you guys to thank for him!"

"You guys were amazing up there!" Collin said. "You made this boy look so good, that we were the first in line at the adoption tent. We were terrified that someone else would snatch him up!"

"Well, I guess Mason is yours then." Rook said as he handed the leash over. Mason was jumping for joy and barking loudly as the brothers took turns hugging him. "You're a Garcia now!"

Pyre was bursting with satisfaction. "I was hoping this would happen. He's perfect for you guys!"

"We need to celebrate this occasion with a picture with you guys in costume!"

After photos were taken, the teens watched as the mechanics walked away with their new mascot. Rook sighed happily as he sat back down on the chairs.

The moment passed as the kids ran up to him looking really upset. "Hey guys, what are you doing walking around on your own?"

"You gotta help us!" Rain said. "Kailen and Kayla are taking down a bad man!"

The teens looked at each other. _What had the kids gotten up to now?_

* * *

 **So, what trouble do you think the kids have gotten themselves into?**

 **Please leave reviews and I'll see you guys with Part 2!**


	22. The Fall Fest Part 2

**Hey guys. Sorry that this took as long as it did. Are we ready to get back to the festival? Let's go!**

 **This is a heavy chapter so I'm going to just slap a blanket warning for everything. I'm honestly tired and ready to be done with this chapter as it's taken a few days to get this thing written.**

 **So go ahead and strap into a 5 point harness and hold on tight!**

 **That's about it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **5 minutes prior**

You two stand right here and don't go anywhere. Tommy told the kids sternly. I have to change Mav's diaper. I'll be right back."

"Yes, Dad." Kayla said with a bright smile as she, Raine shared the funnel cake. Next to them, Kailen snacked on a meaty kabob. He wasn't a big fan of sugary stuffs, and he'd tried to join in on the funnel cake, but it was just too much sugar for his system. So, when he'd seen the bright colorful veggies and meat on the sticks, he'd been pretty happy! Now, he sat munching happily as he stood with his cousins, waiting for his uncle Tommy to come back out of the bathroom.

They'd been that way for a few minutes when they'd heard a scratchy voice.

"Hey, how would you kids like a puppy? It's free to a good home!"

Kayla looked up sharply and saw the man holding a very cute dog with long ears a wagging tail. She handed the thick paper plate to Rain and walked slowly towards the man. On closer inspection the puppy wasn't very healthy looking. It looked way too skinny and it was crawling with fleas.

"She doesn't look very good. What did you do to her?" She asked softly.

"She's just a runt, I don't want to waste money on her. if you come over here, she's yours forever.

Kayla, remember what Uncle Tommy said about stranger danger!" Kailen said softly.

"But this puppy looks sick." Kayla argued. "She needs a doctor."

"I'll take her, but you're a bad man for not feeding her!" Kayla accused the man.

"Well, sweetie, I'm a poor man. I can't afford to feed her."

"Fine, I'll take her."

The man laughed and his breath was repulsive. He held out the puppy and Kayla walked towards him. The moment she had the puppy in her hands, his dirty hand grabbed her arm.

"Let me go, asshole!" Kayla screamed.

"Stupid little girl." The man said in a gravelly voice. "You're my bitch now. We're going to have such fun!"

"No you're not!" Kailen said loudly and he thrust out his hands and the man immediately lost his balance. As he fell, he lost his grip on Kayla and she stepped back a little bit with the shaking puppy in her arms.

The man fell hard on the ground and the wind was knocked out of him. A second later, Kayla walked up to him and with her 6-year-old strength, kicked the man in the crotch and he rolled over cradling himself.

"That's for tying to kidnap me!" Then she walked over to his head and kicked him again. "That's for not feeding the puppy!"

"That's enough little ninja." Pyre said as he walked up to them. The little kids immediately walked over to the older teen and stood behind him. While all this happened, Rook walked towards the man on the ground.

"No more." The man whimpered. "You can have the puppy for free!"

"Yeah, the puppy is coming with us. You however have messed with the wrong kids."

"What the hell is going on?" Tommy demanded as he walked out of the restroom with Maverick in his arms.

"This bad man tried to take me, Daddy, but Kailen and I kicked his ass and we saved this puppy!" Kayla said as she showed him the sick beagle.

Tommy's face was unreadable; his eyes were a bright green as he handed his infant son over to Pyre. "Take the kids back to the others, they don't need to see this."

The teens immediately did as he said as they could feel the immense power coming from him. When they were a safe distance away, they stopped and sat the kids on a bench. Pyre handed the baby over to Rook and then knelt in front of Kayla. Her eyes were a watery green and they glowed faintly.

Pyre swore softly. "Hey Kayla, I know you're pretty upset right now, but I need you to close your eyes for me."

"They're glowing, aren't they." She asked softly. "That man made me so mad! He hurt the puppy!"

 _Of course, she would focus on the puppy._ He silently snarked to himself.

"What's going on?" Kim said as she rushed up to him. Behind her, Rocky and Adam rushed past her on the way to find Tommy. Rook handed her the baby and she slipped him into her baby sling.

When the teens recanted what happened, she looked at her daughter, completely unsure what to say. Pyre looked at Rook. "We need to see to this little beagle; You mind getting Bonnie over here?"

"Yeah, I'm on it." Then he jogged over to the tent.

Pyre then focused on Kayla. "Ok, we need to get you calm again so that your eyes will stop glowing. Close your eyes and take a deep breathe with me." As he led her through her exercises, the other Miscreants arrived with Bonnie in tow.

They kept their distance and sat at a table a few feet away and Bonnie. Rook handed the puppy over and told Bonnie what happened. She said nothing as she gave the puppy a cursory look. She'd had some basic animal aid classes and knew what to look for.

After some time, she set the little puppy down on the table. "She should be okay, she's too tiny but that's to be expected when some asshole doesn't take proper care of her. She needs to be examined by a proper vet and get her puppy shots and to be checked for worms. A medicated bath is a good idea too."

Meanwhile, Kayla was sitting still with Pyre and feeling a lot calmer.

"Are you okay, Kayla?" asked a small voice. Pyre looked up to see a small boy with spiky hair and a silver chain. It was Jude Skullovitch, a boy in her class. He stood next to an older teenager that Pyre recognized as Creed from their class.

"Hey there, Kyle. We saw everything, it was pretty intense."

Pyre looked back at Kayla who was looking back at him. Her eyes were their normal brown color. When she looked at her classmate, she inhaled softly. It was very subtle and only Pyre noticed. "Yeah, I'm ok." She followed that with a small shy smile. The boy was grinning at her. "I saw you kicked that guy in the nuts, that was awesome."

Kayla grinned at him. "Thanks."

"We're good, Creed. Uncle Tommy is taking care of things. Everything should be fine."

In the next moment, she saw her dad walking towards them with a stormy look on his face. Her smile dropped and Creed noticed, when he saw Tommy, he picked up Jude's hand. "We better scatter, looks like your dad has something to say."

Jude was still smiling at Kayla, "I'll see you in class."

"Yeah, see you later."

Now, Kim and Tommy stood with Bonnie as she gave them the report on the Beagle. They conversed for a few minutes and then she gave him an embossed business card and then parted ways.

Kayla watched in trepidation as her parents spoke for a few more minutes. Her daddy looked up at her and then at the group of teenagers. "I need a moment with you miscreants."

When the teens were gathered around him, he said. "Since my sweet daughter was willing to risk her life for that dog, she's in charge of it. That means that she'll be the one who has to pick up after it and that means everything that dog messes up. I'm asking if you'll guys be up to supervising her. That doesn't mean that you do anything for her but show her the ropes."

"Yeah, we can do that." Pyre said. "Though I don't envy her at all."

Tommy snorted. "Yeah, me neither." He paused. "You teens go ahead and enjoy the fair, for now, we need to have a talk with out little Ninja."

Wyvern grimaced yet said nothing as she took her mate's and walked back to the changing rooms to switch into their street clothes.

When they were gone, Tommy and Kim approached their daughter. Kayla looked up at them, looking really nervous. "We need to have a nice long talk, young lady."

* * *

It took some time to get cleaned up, especially with Trent working on removing the body paint from Katsume's back. As he applied the hot soapy water, the teens spoke about the adoptions. Every dog that had been showcased had found a home and they were very happy with the results.

"So, what happened with Anubis?" Kyle asked as he slipped back into his t-shirt.

This rich old lady picked him up. She smelled like money but unlike the last lady we met, she was very nice. She and Anubis were a perfect match; even when he gave her a sloppy kiss, she laughed it off and scratched him behind the ears. I can definitely see them living out their golden years together."

The sisters were adopted by two sisters." Autumn said with a grin. "They don't live together but they'll be able to hang out more often.

"Those two girls will be spoiled rotten in no time." Sapphire added. "I can already see them wearing fancy pink collars and basking in the sun on thick fluffy pillows stuffed with down feathers."

Katsume grinned as Trent wiped the last of he paint from his back. "And what about Fiona?"

"Adopted by a retired couple. They travel the country in their RV and they fell in love with her on sight. She was wagging her whole body when she met them. Instant connection!"

"It couldn't have gone any better." Bonnie said as she walked in. We even had a few adoptions that weren't in the show. More than half of those kittens and cats got adopted along with a lot of the dogs and puppies. I couldn't' have asked for a better outcome."

She paused and wiped a happy tear from her eye. "Thank you guys for stepping up!"

Kyle grinned. "It was loads of fun. I wouldn't mind doing this again!"

I'll keep that in mind." She said. "Oh and I thought you all might like to know that I've heard back from the vet. Buttercup will be joining us at the shelter to continue her physical therapy till we can find her a forever home."

Rook was just beaming with satisfaction as Bonnie finished. "That's really all I wanted to say. I'll just let you guys go enjoy the festival. You've more than earned it!"

* * *

Once again, back in their street clothes, the teens stepped out into the mid afternoon sun. The lovely enticing smells of carnival food made the teens salivate and realize that they hadn't eaten since the morning.

"Let the feasting begin!" Kyle said rubbing his hands together. "Where should we start first?"

Katsume's eyes swept the grounds and landed on Elisa who sat at a picnic table. A second look clued him into something odd. She sat by herself but she wasn't in her wheelchair and her crutches were nowhere to be seen. "What the hell…" He mumbled to himself as he walked towards her.

She gave him a troubled smile. "Hey, Paladin."

"Hi, Elisa…um…where are your crutches?"

She gave him a rueful smile. "I got blitzed in the bathroom, I leaned them against the wall while I was washing my hands. One of Jezebel's minions snatched them and ran away with them. I was able to make it a short distance, but I only made it to the table." She held up her cellphone. The wheelchair is in my brother's car, but I can't get a hold of him. He wanted to ride the Zipper with Bridget, his girlfriend and he's spent all day taking care of me, I wanted to give him some time."

Katsume sighed and straddled the bench. "I shouldn't be surprised. Those lousy bitches have nothing better to do than to mess with you."

By then the other miscreants had caught up to them. Kyle sighed heavily. "I'm so freaking done with those plastic barbie doll rejects."

"What's the plan all mighty leader?" asked Rook as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm hardly a leader, but we need to track down those plastics and get her crutches back…and let her brother know what's going on. I don't trust myself not to slap down those bitches." He looked up at the girls; he didn't even need to say anything, and they looked more than happy at the task. "I'll go with them." Leif said. "Just in case they need backup."

Rook exhaled softly. "I'll go track down Bradley and clue him in." He took off at a jog towards the massive ride.

"What about you?" Katsume asked as Kyle took out his wallet. "I'm sure you both are hungry. He paused and grinned at them. "There's a nice food stall over there. What are you guys hungry for? I'll go grab some grub."

Katsume looked at the stall. "I could go for a turkey leg, though I doubt they'll be as good as the ones at Universal Studios." He looked at Elisa, "What can I get you? The skies the limit."

"Actually, I've already eaten…but I could go for a funnel cake. I've been dying for one all day."

"Got it, do you want any special toppings on it?"

"Just the powdered sugar. Thanks so much!"

"Coming right up."

When he walked away, Elisa grinned at him. "That's a hell of a group you guys have. Are you all this gallant?"

Katsume grinned. "We try to be, though he's the most chivalrous of everyone. Kyle and Autumn were raised like that; it's just part of them."

They were quiet for a moment and then Elisa looked over at him. "That was an amazing costume you had on, did your dad do all that paint work?"

He paused. "Yes and no. I came to the Manor with the outline of the feathers tattooed on my back. Trent just filled them in; he took a picture for continuity just before he applied the setting powder. How did it look on stage?"

Elisa looked like she wanted to blurt out the answer, but she just pulled out her smartphone and showed him the video. He watched himself walk down the catwalk with Anubis, turn, and then walk back up with the happy looking canine; the light hit the feathers perfectly. Even he had to admit that he looked brooding and yet hot at the same time.

"Wow, I had no idea." He said to himself.

"You were hot. Like a brooding dark angel that saves people in the end." She said as if giving voice to his thoughts.

Katsume chuckled as he shook his head. "Huh, I had no idea. Not exactly what a paladin is supposed to be."

"Well, who says that a paladin has to be a knight in shining armor that reeks of goodness?" she answered. "I've always felt that a knight in shining armor is a squire that hasn't been tried and tested yet. Real knights have armor that is dented a little grimy and they'll most likely have some scaring that proves they've fought the bad guys and survived."

Katsue gave her a long look… and she blushed. "I'm sorry, I have a habit of waxing poetic."

"No, don't worry about it. I think that was more profound than poetic. I never thought about it that way." He gave her a small smile and hoped she couldn't tell how her words affected him.

A second later, her hand covered his. "Whatever happened, you can talk to me about it."

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm not ready for that yet…maybe someday. I'd rather focus on having fun." He exhaled softly and looked up at her. "This is our first official date and the last thing we need is painful pasts screwing it up." Then he looked up at Kyle who was just standing there holding a funnel cake in one hand and a turkey leg in the other.

"So, you guys still want the food or should I give you a few more minutes?"

"Nah, we're good and I'm starving."

* * *

"There they are." Autumn said as they saw the group of Plastics sitting at a table. They were laughing and in the middle of the table, was Jezebel. Autumn felt her anger rising up and she fought to remain calm.

"Maybe I should take the lead on this." Sapphire said. "You're not in control of your emotions."

"Oh, I'm in perfect control" Autumn replied in a soft deadly voice." Let's just get those crutches back."

Sapphire looked at her closely and then nodded. "Ok, let's go kick some ass."

Jezebel looked up at them as the girls approached. "Finally decided to approach us; I was sure for a second that you'd start making out with your demon slut."

"Nope, sorry. We don't swing that way." Autumn said with a roll of her eyes. "We're here for those crutches, we know you jacked them from Elisa, just tell us where you stashed them, and we'll leave."

"Why would we tell you? Are you that little freak's guard dog now?" She asked as her crew got up and surrounded them.

Autumn eyed them and knew immediately she'd just walked into a trap. Still, she gave them all a fearless look.

"Isn't this a bit extreme for you? Aren't you worried about wrecking those pricey manicures?"

"It'll be worth it." Jezebel said as one of her cronies took a baseball bat and swung. However, the blow never connected as Leif had grabbed the bat and tugged hard. The bat and the girl holding it fell to the ground. At the same time, Sapphire stood with her back to her best friend, guarding her from any more cheap shots.

Autumn didn't take her eyes from the girl in front of her, but had an idea about what had happened. "What the hell kind of move was that? Are you that much of a wuss to try a sneak attack?"

Jezebel sneered and slapped Autumn with a loud smack.

Autumn took the hit in stride; the hit didn't even have that much force behind it and the sting faded away almost immediately. A second later, she felt power flow through her as her inner dragon come to life. When she opened her eyes, Jezebel gasped. "What the fuck is up with your eyes?"

"Do you know who I am?" Autumn said in a powerful and dangerous voice. "I'm Wyvern, the dragon; you shouldn't have challenged me." With a lightning movement, she slapped the other girl down really hard. She fell to the ground with a grunt. Autumn knelt down in front of her and grabbed her by her hair. "Stop fucking around. Tell me where those crutches are!"

"We threw them away. That little freak needed to be dealt with."

Autumn gripped her hair tightly. "Elisa is under my protection now. You're going to leave her alone from now on, or I will do so much worse then this simple cat fight. You have no idea what power I have within me."

Just to make her point, she yanked hard on her pony tail. A second later, the hair fell out and Autumn snorted. "Really, extensions? Wow…you're even more of a fake than I thought!"

That's enough, Autumn." She paused as she heard her mother's voice. "You've made your point."

Still not taking her eyes off Jezebel. She finished. "I'm not going to tell you again. Stay away from Elisa or you'll feel the wrath of the dragon."

"Ok, ok. I'll leave the little bitch alone." Jezebel said with a look of real fear in her eyes. She got up the moment that Autumn got up and backed away.

When she walked away with her hussies. Autumn sighed and closed her eyes. A moment later, Tanya wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"Baby girl. Look up, show me your eyes."

When she did, Tanya gasped softly. They were those of a dragon and were a brilliant purple. A moment later, she recovered and simply led her daughter to another picnic table and sat her down.

Adam whom was just behind them turned his attention to Sapphire. "Ok, Nocturne, what just happened?"

"They snatched Elisa's crutches while she was washing her hands, we came here to confront Jezebel and her cronies, but they told us that the crutches had been tossed away. It was a trap to attack Autumn for that confrontation at the mall just before school started."

Adam nodded. "Ok. So, the first thing we need to do is find her brother and see what he wants to do."

"No need, I'm right here." Bradley said in a gruff voice. "What happened?" At his side was a beautiful teenager with thick curly red hair. She wore a stylish hoodie over a pair of hip huggers and sported some worn looking tennis shoes. Her bright green eyes were looking just as worried as Bradley about what had happened.

When Autumn told him, he cursed softly. "And we don't have a back up pair. We just got those last year and she's not eligible for another pair till next year. Those lousy bitches just can't leave her alone!"

"Did you bring her wheelchair?"

Bradley nodded. "Yeah, I brought it just incase she got tired from all that walking. She's trying so hard to be independent!" I'll have to find someway to get ahold of Hayden."

"We might have a way to do that, but first let's get her wheelchair out and make sure she's okay." He paused and looked at Sapphire. "Where are they?"

"Back by the bathrooms, Kyle and Katsume are with her."

"Okay. We'll just take things one step at a time." He paused and looked at Bradley. "We won't step on toes here. We'll keep an eye on her, if you want to go get that wheel chair."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll meet you guys back at the tables." When he was gone, Adam sighed heavily. Then he looked over at his wife who was talking softly with their daughter.

He turned to the teenagers. "You miscreants did good today. I need to talk privately with Autumn, Go ahead and go back to the others."

Yes, Sir." The teens answered almost in unison. When they walked off, he walked over to his wife and daughter. Tanya looked up at him. "We're okay, baby."

Adam knelt down infront of his daughter "How are those eyes?"

"Normal." Autumn said as she looked at her father. "Please don't be mad, we didn't know it was a trap, we were just trying to get her crutches back."

"What's done is done; let's not let those bullies ruin the day. If you want to go home, that's not a problem or do you want to stay a little longer?"

"I'm starving dad. We were planning to feast once we got into our street clothes again. This was a detour."

"Ok, then. Let's go get some food."

* * *

 **A few hours later**

It was time to go home. The teens had done their best to enjoy the day, all drama forgotten. But now, the day was over and they were all hungry for some real food, so they were saying goodbye to Elisa as Bradley and his girlfriend had gone to get the wheelchair van.

"From now on, you're going to spend lunch with us in the Moon Racer." Autumn said to Elisa. "It's the only way they'll leave you alone."

"That's fine." Elisa said. I've never had lunch in a minibus. Is the bus hard to get into?"

"Nah, but if you have trouble, it'll be nothing to carry a folding table in the back of the jeep." Rook said. "We'll make it work."

"You'd do all that for me?" Elisa asked.

"Yeah, you're with us now." Autumn answered. "We don't mind making accommodations."

"Cool." Elisa said looking happily, though her eyes strayed to Katsume. He looked just as thrilled about the idea of not having to sit in the cafeteria anymore. He'd never tell her, but he missed sitting with the rest of the Miscreants.

When the van pulled up, Katsume bent down and pulled Elisa into his arms. "I'll see you on Monday."

I can't wait." She answered and pecked his cheek with a sweet kiss.

Katsume felt a warmth sweep through him and he hugged her a little tighter before helping her sit back down in her chair.

As soon as she was in the van and her brother pulled away from the curb, Rocky grinned widely. "So, where do we want to eat. it's still a little early so many of the restaurants should still be open. Name the place and we'll go."

"Let's go to Shenanigans." It's been a while since we ate there."

Katsume was still beaming with happiness. "Shenanigans?"

* * *

 **So, I know there was a lot going on in this chapter, but I want to get on to the next part of the story. What did you all think of everything that happened? Please leave me some feed back.**

 **Till next time!**


	23. Miscreants:Angel Grove Needs You!

**Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a good Easter and is enjoying this spring time weather!**

 **We're back with a new chapter and I hope you all are enjoying this story. This chapter come with a possible trigger warning having to do with abuse victims. I doubt it will trigger anyone, but just to be safe. I'm putting out a warning. There is also a brief naughty moment between Kyle and Autumn. *shrugs* It happens when dealing with a young couple that are crazy about each other. That should about do it!**

 **Enjoy and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

 **The Manor**

 **One week later**

It was the first weekend of October; the weather was slowly getting a little cooler and the days were getting shorter. One could definitely feel the change of the seasons.

A week had passed since the fall fest and Kayla had just been released from her grounding. That had been part of her punishment, a week of being unable to play games, along with no TV or movies and she spent every day looking after the dog she'd just had to rescue. And that include doggy droppings.

She'd taken it without complaining, though there had been tears that she would miss out on the Halloween movie nights. It broke the teens' heart to see her look so sad; Kyle couldn't stand it and with a quick huddle, they postponed the movie night till she was released from her punishment. But, sadly, that was all they could do for her. Tommy and Kim had been adamant that she needed to learn her lesson.

Her almost-abduction had scared the hell out of them and Tommy had given the creep that had dared to touch his baby girl an epic beatdown; it had taken both Rocky and Adam to pull the very pissed off daddy away and had it not been for Fred and his partner, Officer Jay, Tommy might have even been arrested.

It was a serious situation, and though it pained Tommy to punish her, he followed through with it and Kayla had taken it like a champ. Kailen had been right there with her. Though he did nothing wrong, he stuck with her and helped her do her chores, even the nasty, smelly ones.

During the week of her punishment, she'd been kept busy even though the work was light. After school, once her school work was done, she helped her mother and aunts in the laundry room as they switched the summer clothing for the fall clothing and put them away in the storage bins. Then she helped her aunts unpack the clothes from last year and put them away in the different chest of drawers. It was tiring work and once that was done, she was sent back up to her room for nap time.

It was during this time, that something adorable happened. Belle (that was what she'd named the beagle) had tried to follow her up the stairs and started howling when she had trouble climbing. Kayla stopped and, went back down the step and tried her best to pick up her four-legged friend but the beagle was just a little too heavy and she looked up at him asking for help.

Kyle had chuckled at the adorable sight, and after another minute, walked over to the struggling duo. He gently picked up the beagle and carried her up to the kid's floor. It hadn't been the last time he'd done so, but pretty soon, it had been decided that for the rest of the week, she'd sleep in living room of Conner and Kira's house where there was a ramp and no need to carry the sweet pup around.

Now, the teenagers sat at the dining room table, just hanging out as various activities happened around them. It was mid-morning and they sat around snacking and browsing the internet.

The two kids, on the other hand were in full decorating mode. Kayla and Keilan were busy switching out the summer themed hand towels with the pretty fall ones with leaves embroidered them. They had already done the same for all the bathrooms on the middle floor and now onto the ones for the kitchen. Then would come that cute shiny garland on the frames of the door. Eventually, Kyle and Autumn would need to go to the store and get a few things to decorate the trailer, though their version of the Halloween décor would differ greatly from the cute stuff around the manor.

Kyle sat at his laptop browsing vehicles, more accurately motor cycles. He'd wanted one for a while now, even before he became Pyre. He loved the idea of cruising in the open air and smelling the scent of freedom. As he scrolled down the page, he expanded his search to include two seaters. Scrolling down the page a little more, his eyes landed on one of those scantily clad models perched very provocatively on top of a very fancy looking Chopper. Out of nowhere, the mental image popped into his head of his leather clad mate sitting in the seat with almost nothing on, giving him a 'come hither' look.

He couldn't stop the grin on his face.

Autumn, who sat with Sapphire, checking their profile, looked up feeling his naughty side come out. "Kyle, whatever caused that naughty thought, you'd better bury it. There are kids in the room."

Kyle smirked at her. "Not a problem, if you can pull yourself away from the computer…first one to the trailer…"

"Ahem!" Adam cleared his throat as he walked in. Autumn laughed loudly at her mate's flushed expression.

"Do I need to hose you two down?" Adam asked a second later.

"No sir. I'm okay. Just looking at some motorcycles."

Rocky composed his face as he walked in behind his friend and towards his son.

"Is that what you want, Kyle?" he asked as he peered over his son's shoulder.

"Yeah, dad. I was thinking about getting an older model and practicing on it till I get better and pass the driving test."

"Or you could just ask me, son." Rocky replied. "I've ridden a few in my time. I could take you out for a ride and show you how." He paused, remembering the reason he'd come into the room. "But not right now. We have some good news for you Miscreants."

Everyone's head shot up at hearing their name.

"Yeah, what's that?" Kyle asked.

"Kara, Fred's wife called me a few minutes ago." Adam paused and looked at Katsume. "You haven't met her, but she's the head detective for the Angel Grove Special Victim's Unit. She's the officer in charge of Miss Pauline's case."

Katsume looked up. "How is she?"

Adam smiled at him. "She's much better now that her loser ex is behind bars. He's been booked into a jail the next town over and waiting trial. Miss Pauline as moved into a new home here in the city and will be returning to school in another month once her therapist clears her. She's also missing her dog terribly."

"He gets to go home?" Autumn asked.

Rocky couldn't keep the smile off his face. "You bet, in fact, once you guys finish your snacks and get that boy ready to go, I'll drive you to her place and you Miscreants can personally reunite them!"

Needless to say, it didn't take long for them to slip into their hoodies and shoes. While the girls fixed their hair and put on their hoodies and shoes, the Kyle and Katsume walked out to he back to get Tank ready to go. They found him basking in the noontime sun and he gave them a curious look.

"Hey, buddy." Katsume said as he knelt by the canine. "You ready to go home?"

The dog tilted his head curiously.

"Come on, your mom's waiting for you!" Katsume added. Tank perked up as his tail wagged slowly.

Kyle showed him the leash and his tail wagged faster. Katsume pulled out black bandana that had little skulls printed on it. Katsume doubled up the fabric and tied it around the dogs neck.

Kyle clipped the leash on the collar. "Come on, boy. Let's get you home!"

* * *

Miss Pauline's house was nestled away in a newer subdivision. Rook noticed as he followed Rocky's truck up the road how peaceful and nice the neighborhood was. The lawns were tended to and flowers colored the landscape. A lot of the houses had already been decorated for the harvest in a way that Martha Stewart would be proud of.

The house they pulled into was one such house. It looked much like the other houses, but on a slightly smaller scale and the décor looked like it had been purchased at an art fair. When they pulled up, the front door opened, and Miss Pauline walked out onto the front stoop accompanied a second later with Kara and Fred . A second later, they could hear Tank whining and panting.

"Hang on buddy, we're here." Rook said as he put the jeep in park. The moment the jeep stopped moving, Tank was out of the jeep and running for his owner. The teens could only stand back and watch the emotional reunion.

There were happy tears from their teacher and enthusiastic tail wagging from the dog. It went on for several minutes before their teacher remembered they were there. She got up from the stoop where she'd been knocked over.

Their teacher was casually dressed in plain lavender tunic and blue jean capris. Her hair was pulled back in a clip and she didn't have a single trace of makeup on. As Katsume walked up, he gave her a once over and saw that the last of her bruises were fading and she looked a hundred times healthier than she had the last time he saw her.

"Thank you so much!" Their teacher gushed. "You guys have taken such good care of my baby."

It's not a problem." Kyle said as he took point. "We took him to the vet for a full check up and he's gotten along really well with the pack of dogs we have at the manor. I'm just glad that he's back home where he belongs."

Miss Pauline nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. Then she gave Katsume a look over of his own. "And you, are you okay? I heard you had to go to the emergency room after that attack."

"I'm fine. Just some minor bruising, nothing major."

"Well, thank you all anyway. I owe you guys more than I can repay."

After assuring their teacher that she owed them nothing, the teens walked back towards their vehicles and climbed in. They were all feeling so very elated over such a positive outcome and felt like they could accomplish anything as a team! When Rocky and Adam walked up to them, they were met with grins and high fives. The smiles fell just a little bit when they noted the serious looks on the adults faces.

"Let's go get some pizza!" Kyle exclaimed. "This is a major achievement."

 _You are definitely my son."_ Rocky silently mused. "That sounds wonderful, son. But first, I want you all to follow me, we're going somewhere special."

Before his son could question him further, Rocky and Adam walked away, and the kids had no choice but to climb into their vehicles and follow the big red truck made it's way from the pretty subdivision and back towards the busy part of town.

They all rode in a comfortable silence for a minute or two before Sapphire turned the radio on. Kyle listened half heartedly to whatever was playing on the radio, his mind was just swimming with questions. Only Autumn's hand on his lap and sweet kiss to his neck made him snap out of his myriad of thoughts.

"We're here, Amore." She said when he smiled down at her.

* * *

Kyle exhaled softly before he opened the side door. Moments later, he was looking up at the old Slider's Place. It had once been a popular sports bar, but when the owner had been forced into early retirement, he'd sold it to the bank and this once popular bar sat empty and sad looking.

Now, however, the place looked like someone had brought it back from the dead. The old windows gleamed, and the place looked like someone had breathed life into it.

"Dad, what's going on?" Kyle asked.

"I'm not saying anything till Fred and Jay arrive."

"What do they have to do with this old place?" Kyle asked insistently.

"Forget it, Son. This is the one time you won't be able to weasel information out of me. Just chill out for a few minutes and then you'll find out."

Though Kyle wanted to ask more, the stubborn look in his dad's eyes was enough to shut him up. When the two men did arrive, they silently walked to the door, fished out a set of keys and opened the glass door.

When they flipped the switch and the lights came on, the teens looked around the place in confusion. This was the first time they'd ever been in this building. When the bar closed, they'd all been really young. That's how long the business had been gone.

The interior was clean and sterile, the original décor had been stripped away. It wasn't as big as Adelle's and it was a little bigger than your average McDonald's; it was somewhere in the middle. The bar was all chrome and several barstools with shiny plastic coverings sat under the bar as if waiting for their patrons to claim them. On the side of the bar closest to them sat an older coke-a-cola fridge with LED lighting on it.

On the other end of the room were several booths with the same color pleather seats. The chrome tabletops gleamed under the lights, and in the middle sat four round tables with seats around them.

In the very back of the room sat an old jukebox that had been stripped of what might have been musical selections at one time.

The whole entire place was like a fresh canvas just waiting for the artist to make it into something more.

"Dad, are you finally getting your restaurant?" Kyle asked his parent.

Rocky nodded. "I've had this place in my name for a while. Mr. Ryker bequeathed it to me in his will when he found out he had an inoperable tumor. I've been wanting to open this place for a while, but then things happened with you and then your mother got pregnant and I was waiting for things to die down before thinking about reopening this place and making it my own. As it happens, it all worked out for the best.

"More than anything, I've been waiting to see if you wanted in on this." When Kyle opened his mouth to answer, Rocky held up a hand. "Not so fast, son. Our friends have a proposition for us…all of us."

Fred took that as his cue, and he cleared his throat and took a seat on one of the bar stools. Over the months since his accident, he'd healed really well. Most of that was due to the advanced medicine Andros had brought from his home planet. Other than some discoloration of the burned skin, he could still function. The police department didn't dare fire him, because he was so respected by the new officers, but he couldn't return to field work either. So he'd become a desk jockey, which he hated.

This opportunity was a godsend; he just hoped the teens were on board for this thing.

"You guys may remember a few weeks ago when I told you guys that officer Tesla was working on a task force." He paused and looked at Kyle. "I don't blame you for refusing, what happened was really messed up. All I'm asking is that you don't storm out again and that you'll hear me out."

Kyle looked irritated at the mention of officer Tesla, but he nodded anyway.

"It's not well documented, but many of the homicide cases that come from the Special Victim's Unit have to do with battered people…both men and women. About a year ago, Kara and I looked into a homicide on the middle class side of town. It was Kara's first case as a lead detective for the Special Victim's Unit.

The victim's name was Jamie and she was 24 years old. She was a former addict and had worked really hard to get clean. She was in her second year of college and had a refurbished two-bedroom house that she shared with her husband and a 4 year old American Staffy named Mystique. On the night we were called to her residence, we found the dog with point blank gunshot wound to the head and Jamie brutalized beyond recognition. She was rushed to the ER and later died on the operating table.

Kara did a very thorough investigation and found that she had been to the ER before, with less severe injuries. Digging into her past, she found that the husband had violent tendencies and he'd been suspected of abuse. After speaking to her case manager, she found out that Jamie been offered a place at the battered women's shelter but he refused because to go because she couldn't take her dog with her and she knew her husband would kill her furry baby.

She stayed to protect her dog, and she paid for it with her life. After talking to some other women in the shelter, Kara realized that she was getting different versions of the same story. Some had been lucky to have friends and families to take in their pets, but others had to make the hard decision to surrender their animals to the shelter and hope that they wouldn't be euthanized.

Kara and I came to the realization that all of these situations could have been avoided if there was a place for these animals to go where they would be safe and cared for until their owners could reclaim them. Like I said before, we've seen similar cases, but this one was the most jarring. We both now how screwed up the law enforcement department is in this city, but maybe what we want to do here could help turn things around."

"I'm in, but what does this have to do with the restaurant?" Rook asked.

"I've spoken with several businesses in town along with many animal rescues and even the shelter here in town. They've formed a network that even goes beyond the city limits. They want to help, but they need some fearless teenagers that are willing to do what they don't have the time or resources to do. As for the restaurant, it would be headquarters that you guys would operate from."

"The former AGPD was really shoddy and a lot of the victims don't trust them, and they would be too scared that their abusers would see them going to the police for help, but a cool retro restaurant would be a safe place for them to come to seek help.

If you agree to be on the task force, you wouldn't be working for the police. Jay and I would be your handlers and your parents would be doing the actual reporting and talking to the victims. Your job would solely be to take in the pets and transport them to a safe place."

"You said there was a network." Autumn asked. "What does that include?"

"Various animal rescue groups, every day people that have the space. Dr. Imogen has signed on to be the veterinarian to treat basic injuries and complete minor surgeries pro bono. She'll be the ride along when you go to pick up the pets in the SWAT van and a couple of employees from Petsmart have volunteered to be her assistant."

Another business in this network is that nice tattoo artist, Odin that gave you that ink job. He's volunteered his bike crew to be extra security should you need it. The owners of Shenanigans have agreed to provide a safe space for the victims to meet with you. We have a complete list of businesses here in town that want to be a safe place for the victims to connect with help."

"And what if the perps come after us?" Katsume asked. "If they were to see our faces, they might come after you guys and this place would be compromised. If there are creeps out there willing to brutalize their girlfriends, what would stop them from gunning us down?"

"We would." Said a deep voice they didn't know was there. The teens turned around to see Jason, Zack, and Billy behind them. We've all been fitted for special armor and Billy has worked with Andros to create new hover gliders that we'll fly as escort when you guys are picking up the critters."

Katsume nodded. "Ok, I'm in."

Autumn turned to look at her dad. "I'm assuming you would have developed some kind of armor for us?"

Adam gave his daughter a wry look. "You really think I'd send you out into the field unprotected?"

"No. Just asking."

Kyle turned to his group. "I'm in, but rules are rules. We're putting this to a vote and it has to be unanimous. All in favor?"

"It's in our blood." Autumn stated. "I'm in."

"Those people need us." Sapphire stated. "I'm in."

"It's not like we don't have the training." Leif said agreeing. "Let's save the animals."

"I've been where they are." Katsume said quietly. "I'm in."

"I'm in." Rook said. "We can't let these victims fall into the gap. If rescuing pets is what it takes for them to leave a dangerous situation, then I'm there."

"Then we're unanimous."

"Yep." Rook added. "Let's go be super heroes."

When they faced the adults, Kyle nodded. We're in."

Rocky was beaming with pride at his son, and Adam looked even prouder.

Rook cocked his head to the side, "You said something about a SWAT van…are you guys for real about that. Did you get us an actual armored vehicle?"

Officer Jay nodded. "Yeah, we refurbished a retired van so that it would provide everything you need to not only transport the animals but provide basic care if necessary. I'll be the one driving it and calling ahead for help if needed."

Katsume was looking at Trent who just walked in with a sketchbook. "I'm assuming you were the one that designed the armor?

Trent nodded with a grin. "Yep, that's what I've been up to for the last couple of weeks. It's why I haven't asked you to work on that mural for Conner and Kira. I've sketched a few different designs that take into account your personal styles, but you guys get the final say."

Rocky was grinning. "Once we have that celebratory pizza you guys asked for, we can start on the fabrication for your new gear."

With the moment over and things quieted down a bit, Kyle looked around the new place. "So, do I get to explore the kitchen?"

Rocky grinned and hugged his son. "You bet; I'll give you the grand tour!"

Autumn watched with a grin as the two men walked through the kitchen door.

* * *

 **So, what do you all think about this chapter! The idea for the crew operating out of a restaurant was of course inspired by Power Rangers Jungle Fury, but I tweaked it a bit to something Rocky would run. I picture it like a 50's style cafe where good old fashioned food would be served along with malts and milkshakes.**

 **Anyway, what do you guys think? Please leave a nice constructive review for me, it helps me keep going down this crazy road!**

 **See you next time!**


	24. First Times at Pebble Brook Manor

**I'm back with more!**

 **I don't have a lot of time for an AN, but I wanted to hurry and post this. It's more of a filler than anything, and a set up for some more development between Katsume and Elisa.**

 **There's no warnings for this thing other than some minor swearing, but there are a few sweet moments to enjoy.**

 **Read on and I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **About a week later…**

"Dude, are you ready yet?" Rook asked with amusement as Katsume stepped out of his room at the manor. It was noon time and they were on the way to the main house. The plan was that around this time, they were going to pick up Elisa from her house and bring her over for the day.

She'd never been to the manor, but that was about to change. Rocky was making his famous burgers with all the fixings and hand cut seasoned fries.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Katsume said as he ran his hand through his slightly damp hair. He wore the hoodie he got from Paws and Claws over his clean blue jeans and his black skater shoes. His dog tag gleamed on the chain around his neck and his new wallet was inside his back pocket.

They'd spent the morning in the garage loft in what had become a workshop, getting life molds of their faces made in what was the first step towards them having face masks to wear during missions as Miscreants. The molds were drying in the dry air of the garage and soon, sculpting would begin.

For now, the boys walked in the cool afternoon air towards the kitchen of the manor.

When they entered, they saw their friends gathered around the screen of Kyle's laptop. They didn't even look up as they entered.

"What's going on?" Rook asked.

"Someone's starting trouble on the group MySpace page." Lief answered. "Cyberbullying. Don't worry, we're handling it."

"What are they saying? Katsume asked.

"Nothing that you need to worry about." Kyle said. "You should get going already!" With a smirk, he switched to an old guy voice. " _Katsume san_ , Never keep lady waiting!"

"Alright, alright, no need to Mr. Miyagi me! We're going already!" Katsume said as he rolled his eyes.

"Who's Mr. Miyagi?" Miranda asked. "Is it another movie reference?"

"Yeah, one of many." Kyle answered. "We can watch it for movie night if you want. It _is_ lady's choice. Though you'll have to discuss it with the other girls."

In the meantime, we need to get going. Rook said. "Elisa _is_ waiting on us!"

As they were leaving, Katsume raised a fist and yelled "Banzai!"

* * *

The moment the front door closed, Autumn busted out laughing and Kyle released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He opened up the tab he'd hastily closed and grimaced at the comments on the profile page. At first, he'd seen only good things, people commenting on the shots taken at the fashion show and asking questions about the costumes themselves. They were a big hit and there had been a lot of positive feedback.

Until today.

What Katsume didn't see was that someone, and he had a feeling he knew who it was, had started posting rumors on their profile page…and it was pretty close as he'd ever seen to actual cyber bullying.

The moment he read the comments, he'd thought about deleting them, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. If these bullies were who he thought they were, they'd just keep posting the same gossip. Somehow, someone had found out about what had happened to Katsume and was alluding to it vague details.

He had no idea how anyone found out, but he knew it didn't bode well for their friend.

"I hate that we didn't tell him." Leif said softly. "This is going to knock him down again."

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, it might. But for now, we just leave things as if nothing happened. This is a second date for Katsume and Elisa. He's found a chance to be happy, the last thing he needs is for today to be ruined by gossip."

"You _do_ know that it's going to hit him hard when we get to school." Autumn said. "I'm okay with not telling him until tonight. We keep him away from the computer for now, let him have today with Elisa and then we tell him tonight.

"Guys, what if Elisa already knows?" Sapphire asked worriedly. "We don't know how long those comments were on our page."

"What comments?" Trent suddenly asked from behind them.

The teens spun around with looks of concern on their faces. "I have no idea how anyone found out about what those girls did to Katsume…but someone is spreading gossip about him. They haven't come out and said it, but they're hinting at it."

Trent growled softly as he leaned over Kyle's shoulder and read the comments.

"What should we do?" Kyle asked him in a moment later.

"Don't do anything just yet; this is just vague gossip. We don't know if that idiot cop from LA are behind this, or if this just your basic bullying. Sooner or later, Katsume is probably going to know about this. You're his friends, so I want you to keep him level. Don't let him do anything stupid."

"What if this isn't just random bullying?" Autumn asked him.

"If it's that asshole cop and his bed buddy, I'll deal with them personally."

* * *

 **Elisa's house**

The jeep pulled up to the house, and the moment the breaks were applied, Katsume was scrambling to her front door. Her big brother was there to open the door and he gave the handsome Asian teen a long look before stepping back to let his little sister out.

Katsume was so happy that he didn't register the look of concern. His eyes were only looking at Elisa as she slowly rolled down the ramp.

"Have fun you guys."

Rook stood by the side of the jeep and he watched with an amused glance as Katsume opened the side door for her. She gasped in surprise as he scooped her up in his arms and lifted her into the passenger seat.

"I could have done that myself; you know." She chided him.

He shrugged at her. "I know, but I couldn't pass up the chance to hold you…even for a second."

Rook only rolled his eyes at the sickeningly sweet moment and focused instead on folding up the wheelchair and securing it to the back of the jeep with couple of bungee cords. He'd brought them brand new a few days before, preparing for this. The chair wasn't going anywhere once he had them in place.

When he got back to the driver's seat, he tried not to look at the sweet couple and instead muttered. "Alright kiddos. Seatbelts on."

The plan was to drive right back to the manor, and that was the direction they were heading... But, as they drove over the underpass, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Someone, and it looked like a woman, had throne a heavy trash bag over the side of the railing and then drove away in a hurry. Rook drove past her and pulled off the road.

Katsume and Elisa were looking at him in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Something's wrong. I just saw a woman throw a trash bag into that ditch behind us."

The moment the car drove passed them. Rook counted to ten and then made a careful U-Turn and went back the way he came.

Thank goodness it wasn't a one-way road.

When he got back to the spot where he'd seen the bag go over, he put on his hazard lights, ran to the spot, and looked over the railing. He could hear a desperate yet quiet calls of distress. It sounded like a cat.

Paladin was next to him in an instant. "Is that a cat?"

Rook shrugged. "I think so. I'm going over the side, watch my back."

Paladin looked on as Rook carefully jumped over the side an slowly walked down the incline. When he got to the black trash bag, he pulled out a pocketknife and cut a hole in the top.

Paladin winced as the mewling got louder.

"How many?" He asked as Rook looked inside.

"It looks like a whole litter of them. I count at least four or five. It's hard to tell right now. We'll need the kennel."

Paladin hurried back to the jeep and looked at Elisa. "It's kittens." Reaching under the seat, he pulled out the used kennel which had been bought at a yard sale and brought it back to ravine. Rook was just hefting the trash bag over the side and jumping over the railing himself when he returned.

Paladin crouched down and looked into the bag. Reaching in, he pulled out a tiny black, mewling ball of fur.

The short-hair kitten was really young looking…as if the ears and eyes were barely opened. Putting the kitten into the kennel he reached for the others. There was one other black kitten and the rest were black and grey striped. The smallest one was just shivering and mewling loudly.

"I know, little guy." Paladin said with a frown. "We're going to get you somewhere warm and safe. Just hang on for a little bit longer."

By the time they were all loaded into kennel, Paladin had counted that there were five all together and they looked very malnourished and their fur was filthy!

"Are they all alive?"

Paladin nodded. "Yeah, they'll probably needs some milk replacement and baths, but they should be okay."

"Okay, lets get them back to the manor and get these kitties squared away."

* * *

 **The Manor**

Kyle was sitting at the counter when his cell phone went off. Seeing Paladin's name on the phone, he flipped it open and answered.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"We're coming in with a rescue. We'll need your mom's help."

Kyle looked up to see his mom just walking into the kitchen with a load of kitchen towels.

"Mom we need your help. Rook and Paladin are coming in with a rescue."

Aisha put down the basket and walked to the counter. "Put it on speaker phone sweetie."

When he did so, Aisha took spoke, "Hey, Boys. What did you find?"

"Kittens. We saw some lady throw away a plastic garbage bag over an under pass. We found a litter of kittens that are really small. Five of them and they're going to need a lot of care; they're way too skinny!"

"What's the breed?"

"They look like shorthairs. Two of them are black and the rest are striped."

"Alright boys, that's good. Keep them warm and comfortable and I'll get a space ready for them and call the vet for help. How far are you away?"

"We're halfway there, and we have Elisa with us. About ten minutes at least."

"Ok, drive safe and I'll be ready for them."

When Kyle hung up the phone, Aisha was quiet for a moment thinking about what she would need to help the kittens.

"What do we need? Miranda asked from beside her. Elara who had yet to really engage with anyone was nodding. "I like animals. I want to help them!"

Aisha nodded and turned to them. "We're going to need a lot of help with a litter of 5 kittens. If you really want to do this, know that it's a big commitment; these kittens are absolutely helpless and will be entirely dependent on you guys for everything."

Elana gave her a determined look. "I want to help, what do they need?"

Aisha nodded and took a deep breath, first we need to get one of the big laundry baskets and some warm towels. You girls know where they are by now; I'll put a call into the vet."

* * *

 **About twelve minutes later**

When Rook pulled into the driveway, they saw there was a small welcoming committee waiting for them.

Like wildfire, it took no time for everyone else, including the younger kids to find out about the incoming kittens. Aisha walked down the steps to meet them as Rook went to the back of the jeep to get Elisa's wheel chair out of the back.

In preparation for the visit, the guys had gotten busy and in the space of a day, they'd built a basic wooden ramp that they'd fitted to the front steps. It was secured with strong pegs that had been drilled directly into the concrete.

Elisa smiled at Katsume as he held out his arms to help her down and into the chair. Trent, who stood off to the side watching, smiled at the sweet gesture and walked back inside to wait for them to get indoors. The special purchase he'd made for Elisa would help her around the manor, but for now, he let Katsume and Elisa have their special moment.

Tanya walked out a second later, and smiled at Elisa, "Welcome to Pebble Brook Manor."

* * *

After everyone was settled in, Trent walked in the room with a pair of brand-new forearm crutches. When Elisa saw them, her eyes lit up and she grinned big at Trent. "You got these for me?"

Trent nodded. "Yep! A young lady such as yourself deserves her freedom. I had these shipped as soon as possible."

He sat in a chair across from her and helped her adjust the crutches to her height. When at last, they were just right, Elisa rose to her feet and grinned. "These are perfect! Does my brother know?"

"Yep, I just spoke to him. He's on a video conference in the movie room. He wanted to speak to you when you got here."

"How did you manage that, he's all the way out in the ocean?"

"Let's just say that being an ambassador has it's advantages." Andros said as he made himself known. When Elisa turned to him, he added. "I'm ambassador Andros from KO-35. I sent my best friend out to your brother's ship this morning. Having space age technology at my fingertips is also a plus."

I have your brother on the communication relay. He's waiting to talk to you."

When she walked into the movie room, she wanted to cry as she saw her brother up on the movie screen.

"Hayden!" She said with excitement.

Her brother grinned at her. "Hey, girlie! How are those braces working for you?"

"So far so good. I just got them!"

"That's wonderful!" he paused and then added. "So, we have some time before I have to go on duty again. Why don't you tell me again how you lost the other pair?"

Elisa sat down on chair and told him everything.

"I'm guessing those bullies have been bothering you for a while now, haven't they?"

"Yeah, but it's gotten better since I started hanging out with the Miscreants. Katsume and Kyle hung out with me while everyone else looked for them. But Jezebel's cronies threw them into some garbage bin somewhere. Trent got these for me. I was afraid I'd be stuck in that chair forever!"

"I wouldn't have let that happen. Which brings me to something important I need to ask you and I want you to be honest with me."

Elisa nodded and then looked up at the screen expectantly.

First, I want you to know that I'm being transferred to desk duty as soon as this tour is over. I should be home by Christmas, assuming WW3 doesn't happen. In the meantime, Ambassador Andros and his friends have offered to look after you until I'm done with my service to the Navy. They've told me that they have room for you and will handle any needs that come up with you medically or otherwise until I can get back and take over things myself.

I'm hoping that by doing this, those bullies will leave you alone. Those crutches were not easy to obtain, even with the insurance I have for you. I'm pissed that they would do something like that. It's one thing to tease, but committing larceny is something different.

Hayden took a deep breath. "Anyway, I need to know if this temporary arrangement is okay with you. I know you haven't known these people very long, but if it works for you, then I can sign over temporary guardianship of you until I'm back home. If you are uncomfortable, I'm sure I can find another option. Please, don't play down your thoughts just for my benefit."

Elisa was quiet for a moment, then she looked up with a smile. "I'd like that; they're my friends now and it would be cool to have someone to hang out with…and I'm sure Bradly and Bridget wouldn't mind time to just be alone. I'm not really a fan of being third wheel."

Hayden chuckled. "Yeah, I know how serious they're getting, and I really don't want you around to see or hear all _that_." The Seaman shook his head and then he took on a more serious demeanor. "While we're on the subject, I've spoken to the other adults and I've laid down some rules for when you and your boyfriend are together. No sharing of rooms at night, no matter what. The last thing you need is temptation."

At those words, Elisa bit her lip like she wanted to say something. But instead, she nodded. "I can live with that…besides, I want to help foster some kittens! Rook and Katsume rescued them from an overpass today!

Now it was Hayden's turn to look surprised. "I didn't realize that they were into animal rescue."

Elisa told him all about them and he even asked questions. When she was done, Hayden asked, "If any of those kittens are still up for adoption, I might know of a few people who would be interested."

We can email pictures once they're in the clear. Katsume said as he walked into the room. They're being examined by Dr. Imogen; she thinks they're about 12 days old. Their eyes are just barely opened.

Hayden's face looked sad. "So they _were_ dumped."

Katsume nodded. "It sucks, but now they have a better chance with us. We'll keep you posted."

Hayden grinned at him. "While my baby sister is staying at the manor, you better be very respectful towards her and I better not hear about any sneaking off with my baby sister."

Duly noted. Katsume said with a wry look. I promise to be a perfect gentleman."

* * *

 **Early evening**

 **The back patio**

Dinner was served and everyone was busy stuffing their faces. Or at least the boys were. Elisa never had a huge appetite, so she sat back looking contented. Autumn and Sapphire were pretty much done, though neither one of them stopped munching on the left-over fries.

"You know, I kind of like the idea of filming a kitty vids." Kyle said thoughtfully. "We do weekly updates and upload them to our page and get the word out for when it's time to find them homes."

Sapphire nodded in agreement. "I'm all for it, it's not like we're camera shy."

Kyle nodded and then looked around the circle. I'm in too, but as usual, this comes to a vote." Saying this he looked at Katsume. "I know you didn't want your face on camera, if you want, you can be on camera duty."

Katsume looked conflicted. "I think I'd be okay with camera duty. I'm not ready to show my face just yet."

"Because of the cyber bullies?" Elisa blurted out.

Katsume looked at her. "What about the bullies? Are they starting trouble already?"

Kyle sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. Katsume gave him a look.

"Is that what you were hiding from me this morning?"

Kyle sighed again. "Yeah, it's not serious just yet. It's more of the typical comments from haters. I don't think anyone really knows much too much about…you know…before. I didn't want to tell you because I wanted you to be able enjoy some time with you and Elisa. We were going to talk about it tonight…privately. But I guess it's a moot point if this stuff is all over My Space right now."

Katsume cursed silently and then he looked at Kyle again. "What are they saying?"

Kyle thought for a few moments and then looked up at his friend. "I'm not about to spoil tonight with the kind of words I read today. Trent said not to worry about it, because he's already forming a plan of action if things should get more vicious."

Katsume exhaled harshly and then looked at his girlfriend. "No matter what you read online, don't believe it unless you hear it from me."

"No matter what happens, I still wanna be with you."

Katusme smiled at her and looked like he wanted to kiss her. "Thanks, that means a lot to me."

Sapphire and Autumn smiled at each other.

When the moment was over, Rook broke the silence. "So, when should we do the kitty cam?"

* * *

It was time to go home for the night. Elisa was going to return the next day, but she wanted the night to get some clothes packed and to spend some time with her older brother. The next day she'd be back with some of her clothes and medicines.

Rook was pulling the jeep around, and the other had already said their goodbyes.

It was just the two of them and they could feel that they were in a special moment. Katsume smiled down at his girlfriend. "Thank you for backing me up. It means a lot to me. One day, when I'm ready, I'll tell you everything."

Elisa smiled up at him. "It's okay. Don't feel pressured to say anything. When you're ready, I'm here."

Katsume looked at her with amazement. "I don't deserve you."

Elisa looked up at him. "Yes, you do."

Katusme tilted her chin up, and as she closed her eyes, he kissed her lips. This was his first real kiss ever and it was even better than he thought it would be. His heart skipped a beat when she ran a hand through his hair.

When the moment was over, and their kiss ended. He looked up with a breathless smile. "That was amazing."

"Yeah." Elisa said breathlessly.

* * *

 **So, what did you think? I've been wanting to do this kitten rescue, but i could never find a good place in the story for this to happen...until now.**

 **There are 5 kittens: two are black kittens and the rest are striped. I need name ideas for all of them. There are three girls and two boys. All names will be considered!**

 **See you next chapter!**


	25. Calm Waters

**Hey everyone. After a long time, I'm back. This is pretty much a filler chapter that sets up for the next hurdle coming up and it's mostly Trent/Katsume centric. There's a minor language warning but that about does it.**

 **Read on and see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Early Morning**

 **The Manor**

Sleep eluded him.

He'd managed to catch a few z's for a few hours but now he sat up in bed wide awake.

These days, his dreams featured _her_ and in every one of them, the gorgeous councilor was devoid of clothing and he could just smell her intoxicating scent. This last one featured her sunning on the beach with nothing on but a pair of sunglasses.

Trent groaned and shook himself, putting his head in his hands.

 _This was maddening._

Sure, he knew that he was doing the right thing by not pursuing her. Not when they just met and not when there was a child in the mix, but he was finding his resolution to leave her alone to be the sweetest torture possible...

Besides, he had Katsume to think of and with all that bullshit going on in the cyber world, there wasn't time for romance or any kind of love life for him…

Trent shook his head and then glanced at his alarm clock. It was just after 5 and he was restless and just a little in need of some private time. He rolled his eyes at what he was about to do… his personal needs first and then some meditation while he figured out his next move.

An hour later, he stepped out of the adult's bathroom with damp hair and his most casual clothes on.

His next destination was the dojo. With his bodily needs handled, it was time to bring the rest of him into balance.

It was a beautiful morning; the sun was just rising and there was a cool gentle breeze blowing around him as he walked out to the small building and took his sandals off at the door.

Kneeling on the center of the mat, he closed his eyes and began the process of calming his mind and emptying himself of all thoughts…allowing himself to exist in the moment and finally achieving a Zen state.

 _Breathe in…breathe out…Breathe in…. Breathe out…_

He sat like that for at least half an hour before he felt a presence next to him.

Opening his eyes, he looked to the spot next to him to find his mentor kneeling next to him.

"Dr. O? What are you doing here?"

Tommy had his eyes closed and he took a deep breath before he addressed his former student. "Same as you. Everyday should begin with some meditation. The body, mind and spirit should always be in balance."

Trent could only nod at that statement.

The two of them sat in the quiet moments as his mentor finished his mediation.

When Dr. O looked at him again, he sat back on his seat and crossed his legs in front of him.

"So, I'm guessing you also came out here to get me to reveal what's bothering me? This is a mentor thing, right?"

Tommy shrugged nonchalantly. "Only if there is something to reveal. What's on your mind?"

"I'm considering what I'm going to do if things go to crap for Katsume. I've been keeping an eye on the Miscreants Myspace activity. There's a lot of cyber bullying going around, and I can't help but feel that it's some kind of smoke screen to cover up a more sinister plan."

Tommy nodded. "It's a hell of a lot of trouble to go through just for revenge."

Trent looked at his mentor. "I'm assuming you read the file on him. We gave it to Eric and Wes for their records; Katsume only burned the copy of it."

Tommy nodded again. "Yeah, I scanned through it and I can see why the officer went after him. Getting Katsume to commit suicide would have been the easy way to rid himself of 'his problems'." Here Tommy used air quotes. "That didn't work like he hoped. You and the team rescued him and Katsume's in a good place now."

"That's what I want for him, he's got a sweetheart and he gets to do what he loves and save animals."

Tommy nodded and waited for Trent to continue. Just as he expected, Trent blew out a breath.

"But the cyber bullying isn't getting better. They're alluding to what happened to him with those two girls. I don't think they know about him being a rape victim, but if they come out and call him that, it could shatter him."

Tommy nodded again. "He's at that tender age where he's discovering his manhood and developing feelings for his girlfriend. Soon he'll want to take driver's ED, and then he's got his part in being A Miscreant."

Trent sighed. "Everything would be perfect if it weren't for the bullying."

Both men sat in silence for a few minutes letting the calm atmosphere take over for a few minutes.

"I think you're on the right track." Tommy said in a soft voice. "Have you read the latest newsletter from the school?"

"No. What's the latest news?"

"Principle Matthews has cancelled the Lip-Syncing competition. And though he can't outright say it, that idiot lady that was giving so much trouble at the meeting is the cause of it. She kept poking so many holes in the idea and every solution he came up with, she shot down. Basically, she put up such a fight, that he had no choice but to scrap the idea."

"That sucks, but what does this have to do with Katsume?"

"Well, being a teacher has it perks and there is a lot of talk in the teacher's lounge that Conner doesn't even have access to."

Trent narrowed his eyes but said nothing as Dr. O continued.

"Miss Diane who teaches Child Development said she found Joy Lyn crying in the girl's bathroom; she's the student who came up with the idea in the first place. I've only been teaching at AGHS for a few weeks, but I can say that Joy is known for bringing such a positive and sincere light into every room she walks into.

Last Friday when I had her for home room, she was not the same. She didn't smile once or joke around and something about her was just diminished. I don't know if it's bullies or what happened with the competition, but something is wrong with her. My instincts say bullies…and not the ones that she goes to school with."

"You think it's that lady."

"Exactly." Tommy answered. "I overheard the Writing teacher telling the school nurse that she saw that same lady inside the Victoria secret store talking about some secret fling with a cop from LA... that he was coming here on his vacation and they were supposed to hook up. I normally tune out when women talk about stuff like this, but the fact that some cop would come all the way from Los Angeles to a small city like ours for a simple booty call doesn't sound right. Why would a big city cop make the trip out here when he could pay any given prostitute to satisfy his needs?"

"You think this guy is the cop that's after Katsume."

Tommy nodded. "That's exactly what I think. This is still a small town; why would anyone come here for vacation? If fun or relaxation is what they're after, why not go to the beach or on a cruise?

"I see what you mean." Trent conceded. "If the drama _is_ a smoke screen, then I need to be prepared to act in Katsume's interests."

"Not to mention Elisa's." Tommy added. "Her brothers entrusted us with her wellbeing."

"That too." Trent conceded.

"What's your plan?" Tommy asked as he copied the younger man's posture. "We'll back you up with whatever you come up with."

"I know Katsume hates the idea, but I'm planning to pull him out of school if things go south. That teacher already had it out for him, and we know he's golf buddies with the cop. If they make a move against him, I'm prepared to continue his schooling here at the manor."

"Good idea." Tommy approved. "I know for a fact that a lot of the teachers don't agree with what Hatchet did to Katsume. There's a big sense of relief that he was dismissed. Whether he was on school property or not, that was a blatant show of malice and if he could do that kind of thing off the property, then what's to stop him for trying something more vicious during school hours? They all know that there's a restraining order against him…should Hatche show up unexpectedly, they're more than ready to throw down…and I do mean that in the literal sense. Mr. Husker is a retired Marine; even I would hesitate to take him on."

Trent huffed. "That's good to know, but I have a feeling that Hatche wouldn't try a one-on-one approach, I think if anything, it'll be from the bullies of the school.

"You're talking about Jezebel and her minions."

"Or even that crazy lady that is causing all that trouble. I don't even know her name and even she seems to be more of a bitch than Elsa was."

"We need to be ready for anything. I'll do what I can to keep an eye on the whole group, and so will Connor, but should anything happen, you need to have a plan in place."

Trent nodded. "Then my first step should be to talk with Katsume about this. Elisa is coming over to day with some of her equipment, so I better snag time while I can before his sweetheart distracts him."

Tommy laughed out loud. "Good idea. I think he's still in the trailer with the other Miscreants."

Trent nodded and after getting to his feet, he slipped on his sandals and walked over to the trailer.

* * *

 **IHOP**

 **About an hour later**

"Trent, what are we doing here?" Katsume asked as the waitress walked away with their drink orders.

"What does it look like?" Trent asked in return. "We're having breakfast; you can scarf down as much food as your stomach can handle while we talk candidly about the future of your school education."

"You're planning to take me out of school, aren't you?" Kyle asked looking worried. "Do you have to?"

Trent scanned the menu for a second and then set it aside. "Only if I have to. It's not what either of us want, but if things go south, then I'll remove you from that hell hole in a heart-beat. I care a whole lot more about your safety and mental health than I do about you having perfect attendance."

Katsume couldn't argue with that but he still fidgeted with his napkin.

"What will you do if you have to pull me out?"

"We'll be taking a more practical approach to your education. I'm looking into homeschooling and really you can't protest that seeing as how your girlfriend is staying at the manor. It's not like you'll really be missing out on anything."

The conversation paused as the waitress came out with a tall glass of chocolate milk for Katsume and a steaming cup of coffee for Trent. Once she got their food orders she left again and their talk resumed.

"All this over bullies?" Katsume asked.

Trent gave him a stern look. "Among other things…and I think we both know what I'm referring to."

Katsume's ears turned a little pink at the implication.

Trent frowned as he saw the teenager look down at his lap. Before he could declare that he wasn't hungry anymore, he switched topics.

"So, there is another reason I brought you here."

Katsume looked up. "What would that be?"

"Kira and Connor asked me to paint a mural for the baby's room and I think you could learn a lot by helping me with it."

"But I've never even picked up a paint brush…"

Trent shrugged. "There's a first time for everything. Art is not something that can really be taught in a classroom; this would be a practical approach and something that could be applied later in life…if art is the path you want to take."

"How are you planning to recreate Alaska?"

"Well, Billy and Ethan are going to be working on the Aurora Borealis and if you're in on this, we'll be painting the ocean based on what we see at Sea World, when we go."

"We're going to Sea World?" katsume asked as a grin returned to his face.

Trent nodded, smiling. "That's the plan, though I have a feeling that it's going to become more than a simple road trip. Especially when Kayla has been begging to go and their Howl-O-Scream event is going on. Between the two of us, I know Tommy and Kim are already scouting ahead for good hotels to stay at."

At the mention of a possible road trip, Katsume's eyes lit up. A moment later, they were downcast.

Trent narrowed his eyes. "What just went through your head?"

"It's nothing really, I've always wanted to take a trip somewhere, with friends and just having fun. But I've never had friends to do that with…but it's a lot to expect I guess."

Trent sat forward. "What kind of road trip? How would you want to go? Plane, trains, or just a standard road trip?"

"I've never really thought about it before, I've seen movies where riding on a train in a state room was fun, but I've seen enough movies where planes crash to make the idea of flying not so good."

Trent snorted. "I can see how that would be scary and a lot of people fear flying. But we don't have to go that route. Trains can be fun, but for a trip from whatever the closest stop to San Diego might not offer a state room.

"You sound like this is a done deal. I thought we were waiting for the worst to happen?"

Trent shook his head. "I was planning to go anyway. But what happens in these next few days will determine how soon we go and how long we'll be gone."

* * *

By the time they got back to the Manor, Elisa was already there and she and her brother were sitting at the table with the other Miscreants and Miranda. From the looks of things, breakfast was just about done. Bradly was sitting back with a cup of coffee and discussing things with the other adults.

"So, what are your plans today?" he was asking as Elisa looked up and favored Katsume with a bright smile.

Just some light shopping. We want to decorate the trailer with some Halloween décor and Walmart isn't going to work, so we're going to that Spirit store at the strip mall and then we're going to have some lunch and come back here to work with the kittens."

"And costumes too?" Bradly asked with a curious look at his sister.

"No, we're saving that for next weekend." Kyle answered. "Kayla is our little ninja and she'd never forgive us if we went without her. So, this time, it's just for some spooky stuff."

Bradly gave a side glance to Kayla who was smiling to herself as she ate the leftover bacon and sausage. She didn't look that scary…

He kept his thoughts to himself as he checked his cellphone. "Well, I'd say you're in good hands then. I'm meeting up with Bridget in a little bit, so I'm just gonna head out. He shot a warning look at Katsume that needed no explanation before he looked at his sister. I reloaded your visa this morning, so you'll have plenty of spending money. I also meant what I said this morning about using your wheelchair when you're out shopping. It's harder to steal a wheelchair when you're sitting in it. Around the house, you can use your crutches."

Elisa sighed heavily but nodded. "Got it."

"Good." He stood up and gave his sister a bear hug. "If you need anything else, call me and don't forget to do your exercises and take your medicines. I also want at least a text every night."

Got it."

"Good." They hugged once more and then he looked at Rocky and Aisha. "Thanks for breakfast. It's been a while since I had a real homecooked breakfast."

"My pleasure." Rocky answered as he walked their guest out the door.

When the brother was gone, Adam turned to the teenagers.

"Ok, so there are a few ground rules before you head out today."

Kyle looked at the adults. "Like what?"

"Well first, your aunt Kim and uncle Tommy are coming along to supervise. There's been a lot of troubles with bullies finding you and if trouble should arise, there's no one else I trust more to keep things fun and trouble free. There's no one better suited to deal with bullies…you can trust me on that."

Elisa looked around her and saw that all of them were nodding in acceptance.  
"Yeah, we heard about that." Sapphire replied. "I feel better already!"

At that same moment, Kim and Tommy came down the stairs looking bright and happy. "Is everyone ready to go?"

When everyone nodded their agreement, they all went outside to see _La Carlita_ once again pulled up to the front of the manor. As everyone started climbing in, Adam pulled Katsume off to the side.

Katsume looked up at him trying to remain respectful. "If you're going to read me the riot act, then you should know that I'm not even close to being ready for that kind of thing. I'm not going to try and be sneaky with my girlfriend."

Adam nodded solemly. "I know that. But I promised her brother that I would have a brief talk with you about sleeping arrangements where Elisa is concerned; I honor my promises."

Katsume nodded. "Ok, let me have it, then."

"You'll be staying out in the trailer with the others like you've been doing. Elisa will probably stay in Conner and Kira's living room since it's more accessible while we are working on a guest room for her in the main house."

"Sir, I don't think I'll ever be ready to do go that far with her…I don't even want to think about what will if happen if she ever finds out that I couldn't stop those girls from ray… from doing what they did. Ever."

Adam frowned at him, unsure of what to say to that; he could only nod and let the matter drop for now. Later, he would be talking to Trent about getting a councilor of some kind for the boy. And soon. Letting the emotional and spiritual wounds fester would be the worst thing that could happen to him.

"Duly noted. In the meantime, you better get into the hummer; I'm sure you kids have a lot of cash to blow today."

"Thank you sir, I'll keep all of that in mind." Without waiting for a reply, Katsume turned and walked the rest of the way to the van. He hopped in and in the next second, the side door was closed. When Tommy had stowed the wheelchair in the back, he hopped into the driver's seat and drove out of the driveway.

Katsume sat in the seat next to Elisa and leaned his head against the seat.

"Dad read you the riot act?" Autumn asked. Katsume could only nod. "Yeah, but that must have been the abridged version of it. Believe me, I'm nothing if not an honorable paladin."

Kim observed everything without saying a word. This would be an interesting trip.

* * *

 **ok, there we have part one. I tried writing this chapter several times, but nothing seemed pan out the way I wanted it to. Up next, the shopping trip begins!**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave a review. Also, I want to know if you guys ever had a funny experience while shopping for Halloween décor or costumes. Lastly, if you were told that you were going on vacation and it doesn't matter where, what method of travel would you prefer?**

 **Let me know your thoughts!**

 **See you all next time!**


	26. Spooky Shopping Fun

**So, you all get a double posting for today. Things get a little chaotic in these next two chapters so I'm putting up a trigger warning for profanity and for crude mentions of abuse. Other than that, feel free to read on!**

* * *

(Continued from the last chapter)

 _Inside La Carlita_

Kim sat casually near the cab of the limo as the other teenagers sat in silence, unsure of what to say. After a minute, Kim looked up at them.

"You guys can relax; I'm not chaperoning you because of anything you did. I'm here to keep any troublemakers away from you."

"You're our bodyguard?" Elisa asked.

Kimberly nodded nonchalantly. "Yep, there aren't many secrets between us adults. I've heard what happened the last few times you went to the mall and to me, that's a huge crime. You guys should be able to focus on shopping while not having to look over your shoulder."

At Rook's disbelieving look she continued. "I may be short, but I'm more powerful than you know. It's the bullies that should fear me."

"She's right you guys." Miranda said as Kim gave her a warning look. "There's a reason she's called the Pink Death Warrior."

"Not to mention that I'm a lifelong mall rat and it doesn't matter if it's a strip mall or a shopping mall." Kimberly interjected. "If there's a deal, I find out about it." Before Miranda could go any further, she added. "So, what are you guys looking to buy today?"

* * *

 **Shoppers Cove**

Shoppers Cove was a strip mall on the other side of town. It wasn't as big as the shopping mall, but it wasn't a ghost town either. As expected, there were several nail salons and Chinese buffets and every Saturday there was a flea market...which for today set up shop in the extra parking lot on the far end.

They'd be hitting all the stalls today.

Tommy pulled into a spot close to the front and pulled out the handicap placard that Bradly had given him earlier and hung it on the rear-view mirror. He got out a moment later and walked around to see the guys already pulling out the wheelchair as Kim stood to the side watching the whole thing.

As soon as the chair was locked in place, Katsume carefully helped Elisa out of the limo and lowered her into her chair. With her purse in place, he walked behind the chair and started pushing it.

Tommy pressed a kiss to Kim's forehead before taking her hand. "Come on Beautiful. Let's go be responsible adults!"

Hand in hand, they followed behind the teenagers, staying within eyesight, but giving the teenagers space to explore whatever shop they felt like. The first store they went into was a big thrift store.

As they passed the clothing section, Sapphire and Autumn were drawn to what looked like purple and black peasant skirt. Leif stood back and watched with amusement. This was nothing to him; his girlfriend loved thrift shopping. You never know what could be found in a place like this.

"So, why don't more people shop here instead of the mall?" Miranda asked Rook as they wandered the aisles.

"These are secondhand clothes and cheap; most of them have been out of style for a few years now. Those who can't afford new clothes come here…or in the girls' case, looking for special finds. This time of year, everyone's looking for pieces to create original Halloween costumes." He finished smiling at Maranda. "You never know what you can find in a place like this."

"Can you show me?"

"Sure."

While this was going on, Elisa had been pulled into the girl's conversation. They'd found, of all things, a gently worn corset in the intimate's department and had tried it on over their clothes. Though the girls were fit and trim, they found that it wasn't big enough for them…and then they'd eyed Elisa.

"I don't understand, why would you want me to try this on?"

Sapphire grinned at her. "During Halloween, you never know when you might need a piece like this. You're an elf aren't you; when you go on those D&D campaigns?"

Elisa nodded. "Yeah, I was a half elf rogue; but those days are behind me."

Sapphire and Autumn looked between themselves and then at Elisa. "What if you become her for Halloween? Bring her to life?"

"But I thought you were going to wait for Kayla? Won't she be mad that we bought costumes without her?"

Autumn waived her off. "Don't worry about the little ninja, we've got a whole day of fun planned for her and the other kids."

"Besides, Ethan and Melanie's wedding is an elegant masquerade ceremony just after Halloween, you're going to need something to wear." Sapphire added before whispering, "Especially with Katsume staring at you the way he is."

Elisa looked over at her boyfriend who was talking with the other guys. His eyes kept straying towards her and he couldn't seem to stop himself.

"Ok, but it might have to be modified if I'm going to be sitting in this chair."

"Yep, we've thought of that too." Autumn added. "Come on, let's get to the dressing room."

Kim watched them go towards the back and then swept the store with her gaze. For the last few minutes, she'd been getting that prickling on the back of her neck. "Tommy, I keep getting the feeling that we're being watched."

Tommy did the same thing he wife had done and noticed a blonde bombshell near the old VHS/DVD section on her cellphone. Her body language was tense as she spoke on the phone and she was periodically staring at them.

"That's because we are…I think… It's the barbie doll over in the video section. She's too well dressed to be in a thrift store. You should probably get over to the girls and keep and keep an eye on things."

"Ok, Handsome, I know you've got my back. If she's here to start trouble with us, she's about to find out that she picked the wrong group."

Tommy eyes went dark. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you go into warrior mode?"

Kim shook her head. "Later, my Lord Falcon; let's deal with the barbie first."

Tommy chuckled darkly. "God, I love it when you call me that. You better get going before I lose focus."

Kimberly gave him a saucy smile that was only meant for him before she walked away towards the dressing room. Tommy inhaled deeply before he turned to see the guys looking up at him with amused looks.

He shook his head before taking on his teacher persona. The teens picked up on it and Kyle was the first to speak. "What's going on?"

"We're being watched." Tommy said in a low voice. "Trouble might have found us."

He watched as the teenagers subtly went on alert; though Katsume looked nervous, he was doing his best to hide it. Tommy turned to him and called him by his Miscreant name.

"Paladin, can you put your fear away for now?"

Katsume nodded and took a moment to center himself when he opened his eyes, Tommy gave him an approving look. "Good, now, there is a lady in this store that might be stalking us. I can't give you the details right now, but she might be tied to that probation officer or Hatchet. If she decides to make any kind of move towards you, you'll need to let us handle it. Am I understood?"

The teens nodded and then Pyre looked at Paladin. "We've got you, Paladin. Nobody is going to come against you; we're Miscreants."

At the name, Paladin took another deep breath. "I'm okay. I trust you guys…you're my family."

"You're damn right we are." Cold Stone replied. "I'm way over this whole thing…let's put this to bed."

Tommy held back his smile at the show of camaraderie. "Ok, stay alert, but be casual. We don't know how or if she'll strike. Be ready for anything."

* * *

Kim stood outside the handicap dressing room with Wyvern and Miranda by her side. Just like Pyre had done to Tommy, Wyvern figured out almost immediately that something was up.

Kim only shook her head and simply whispered, "Stay alert. Be aware of your surroundings."

When the teens looked over at her for clarification. She only shook her head and then as if nothing was dangerous was going on, went straight back into shopping mode.

"Hey, how's that corset doing, do you guys need help lacing anything up?"

"No, we're good. The corset will definitely need some modification so I can wear it while sitting in my chair."

Kim nodded. "Okay guys, change back into your street clothes, we'll take a closer look at it back at the manor."

By the time they left the store, Elisa had the basics of her costume. Wyvern managed to find a black lace skirt that Kim could easily modify, and Nocturne finished the basics with some gently worn calf length leather boots that only need a little TLC to complete the look. Kim, ever the fashionista would have no problem getting them ready for the half elf's debut.

"How upset will Kayla be that I got a costume without her?"

Kim shook her head. You just leave my daughter to me, and technically, we didn't get it at a costume store, we went to a thrift store."

Elisa nodded and then asked. "Are we in danger? I heard you telling the others to stay alert."'

Kim sighed. "You're right, I did." She stopped and looked Elisa in the eye. "There's someone after Paladin and there's a good chance that one of his…girlfriends were watching us in the store. There's no need to freak out, only an idiot would try something out in the open where everyone can see."

Paladin took up his spot, pushing Elisa's chair as Tommy rejoined his mate. "I'm not even worried about what the lady can do. We're prepared for anything…now, what's the next store we're going to?"

"I'm thinking the Flea Market next. We can grab a snack from one of the vendors and then afterwards, the Sunken Garden Buffet so that everyone can eat what they want."

"Sounds good." Tommy replied. "Let's get to it."

* * *

"Woah, that's a cool looking chair!" Pyre said as they stood in front of an antique's stall. Wyvern who was holding his hand, looked the chair over. It was an intricately carved high backed chair made of solid oak. It had good bones, but it would need some work. "That would make a cool throne, right? All we'd need to do is upholster it and add some embellishment to the back. We could make it ours."

"Would you like to try it out? Asked the proprietor. He was an older man with a beard that would make Santa proud. He wore a plaid shirt and dusty jeans; around his waist was a vendor pouch that held a few clips of money.

"If it's okay, sir." Pyre replied politely.

"Go for it. It's a sturdy chair. My grandfather was a gifted wood worker and he made this chair with his own hands. Sadly he suffered a stroke before he could finish it.

Pyre nodded and sat carefully down in it and rested his arms on the rests and sat back. Wyven grinned at him. "You look very majestic there, Pyre."

Pyre grinned. "Thank you very much, Corazon."

"So, you're 'The Miscreants?'" The seller asked.

Pyre nodded. "Yep, and we're looking for some cool props to feature in the video we're planning."

The man nodded. "My daughter told me about you guys and that you found homes for all the dogs you showed off. That's a worthy cause to help out…" he paused as if doing calculations in his head. "You kids do a lot of good…so how about I give you half off the price I was planning to sell this chair for. Say, 50 bucks."

Pyre nodded and looked at the others. "I'm for it, this could look badass once we get through with it. But everyone has to agree on it."

When everyone agreed, he looked back at the seller. "We'll take it."

"That's a fine way to run a crew. Let me get the receipt."

While Tommy and Kim stepped in to handle the transaction, some kids who had overheard the seller ran over to them.

 _"You're the miscreants, that's so cool!" One boy said._

 _"Are those tattoos on your back real?" Asked another, this one an older girl._

 _"Did they hurt?"_

 _"What's a paladin?"_

 _"Are you guys gonna do another show?"_

 _"What happened to the big dog in the wheel chair?"_

 _"Can I have your autograph?"_

The teenagers minus Elisa and Miranda stood back watching the group of admirers as they swarmed the Miscreants with questions and Tommy laughed to himself as the teens tried to answer the younger kids.

Pyre looked just a bit uncomfortable, but he handled it like a champ as he took the matching _Lisa Frank_ unicorn pen and notebook that the eager little girl handed him and signed his Miscreant name. When he'd done that, the rest of the Miscreants took their turns signing the notebook as well as taking pictures with the kids. By the time that everyone had left, carted off by amused parents, Pyre was visibly shaking, and Wyvern took him off to the side around a corner to help him regroup.

It was then, in the middle of that happy mood that trouble struck.

"What were those parents thinking, letting such impressionable children around that man whore." Said a snotty sounding woman. Tommy looked over seeing it was the same woman from this store…and at her side, was Hatche.

"You have got to be kidding me." He muttered. The seller looked up at him. "Do I need to call the police?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, that man just violated his restraining order."

He didn't even wait for a reply as he sprinted over to Rook, Nocturne and Cold Stone, and Miranda; they were doing their best to shield Paladin and Elisa whom had wheeled over to his side.

"That's enough, Hatche. You've just violated the restraining order. The police are on their way." He paused and looked at the woman whom had a haughty expression on her face. "And I don't even know what you're doing here. What kind of a moron do you have to be to stage an attack on this boy in front of witnesses?"

"I'm not attacking here, I just think that those parents should know what kind of loser they're letting their kids look up to. Do you think that they should let their kids idolize someone who has no problems holding an orgy with two different women at the same time?"

Kim looked around at the scene and saw that everyone had stopped to stare at Paladin whose face was full of pain and humiliation. That made her blood boil and she felt her power come to life as she squared her shoulders and stood her ground like an amazon ready for battle.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, just coming in here and blurting out wild stories that you got from a corrupt cop back in LA?"

At the blonde's startled look, she continued. "Yeah, we know all about that deal you made just to get laid. When her kids are threatened, a mom will do better research than the FBI just to keep the wolves at bay.

She looked at all the parents who were watching the confrontation.

"Before you judge this innocent teenager, you should know the truth. Mr. Shen here was rescued from a dire situation and brought to Angel Grove for protection. He is a respectful young man and has character that is beyond reproach. What this woman here is referring to is an incident where he was invited to a party where he was drugged with GHB and taken advantage of. You are all very intelligent people and I won't tell you what happened after he was drugged. Just know that everything that occurred while he was helpless happened against his will. We brought him here to this city to help him heal from his ordeal and he has been flourishing."

Kimberly than looked back at the woman who was glaring daggers at her. "Then here comes this hussy who would attack this underage minor so openly, blurting out questionable accusations that she got from the corrupt cop she was sleeping with." Giving the hussy an evil look, she continued her attack.

"Let me guess. You thought you'd found a hunk that would be willing to come all the way here because he was in love with you. I'd be willing to bet that he came here to finish the job that he started in LA."

At the blonde's ashen look, Kimberly sneered. "You thought you found 'the one,' but all you are is his alibi." Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest and went for the kill. With glowing red eyes, she ended with. "Skanks like you are a dime a dozen. If he wanted a blonde bimbo with fake boobs, he could find one on _any_ given street corner."

The blonde hissed and swung at Kimberly. She of course was in full battle mode and knew exactly when she was strike, she caught the women's wrist and squeezed it hard enough to force the woman to her knees.

"I don't tolerate anyone that threatens those under my care. I'm sure you'll go crying to that stupid pig that you've been fucking with, so you can tell him that if he knows what's good for him, he'll stay out of Angel Grove."

Tommy's eyes had begun to glow green. "Not even a year ago, my crew and I took down the leader of the TSA and his followers. What do you think we'd do to Officer Michaels and his donut munching golf buddies if they tried to come against us? They'll be lucky to make it out of our city without being carried out in a body bag."

About the same moment when the blonde began to cry, Kimberly saw that Trent had arrived and just behind him, Skull.

Kimberly arched his eyebrow at him in question. He shrugged and answered her silent question. "Don't be so surprised, my wife and I shop here all the time. What else can I do when we have four children at home."

Skull then turned to Tommy. "Just thought I'd add my two cents in; after all, I was standing right there when this asshat went after Katsume and the others in the grocery store. I can back up their stories."

When Hatche gave him a shocked look, the mechanic sneering at him. "Contrary to popular belief, my son and I have a fantastic relationship. He knows he can tell me everything and I'll listen. Katsume isn't the only student you've been bullying. When the cops show up, I'll happily give them my sworn statement. When you go to trial, I'll be right there to make sure you don't get away with bullying ever again."

"You done? Tommy asked giving the former bully a look of respect. When Skull nodded, Tommy turned back to Hatche and then added. "Your teaching days are over."

Now it was Trent's turn to sound off. His eyes were full of fire as he faced the now disgraced teacher. Holding up the official looking paper so that Hatche could see it, he finished the confrontation.

"Not only have you violated the restraining order, but you have attacked a minor. My lawyer will have a field day with the both of you. As soon as my son is out of danger, she'll be coming after you. You'll be lucky to have enough money to afford breakfast off the dollar menu."

He turned and walked back to his son. A second later, he heard a shout and then a grunt. He spun around to see Hatche on the ground with a gun next to his hand. He was now pinned down to the concrete by Skull whom was putting his full weight on Hatche's back. "I don't think so, Dick Head; Only cowards attack from behind."

By then Officer Tesla had shown up with his partner. He surveyed the scene and then looked at the teenagers.

"Are you kids okay?" he asked in a concerned voice.

Paladin nodded. "Yeah, other than having all my dirty laundry aired, I'm fine."

The police officer nodded grimly. "I hate being late to the party." He then looked at Tommy. "I'm assuming you got the recording of the whole thing?"

"Every word."

"You recorded this?" The blonde asked in fear.

"You bet." Kim answered. "This is the final nail in your coffin…you're totally ruined for life."

At this, the blonde sobbed harder. Kim gave her a cold look and then turned back to her husband who was giving her a concerned look.

Trent was speaking to the officer and then looked at his son. "Is there anything you want to add?"

Paladin shook his head. "All I want is to put this whole thing behind me."

Officer Tesla only nodded. "I'll just let you get back to your shopping." He turned to Trent whom stood with his arms crossed over his chest. "We'll be in touch." Then he turned away following his partner whom was loading the offender to the back seat of the squad car.

When they were gone, Kim stood in front of Katsume with a grimace on her face. "I'm sorry I had to do that…do you understand why?"

Katsume's face looked so painful as he shook his head.

"What I did was expose that slut to everyone here. Once the story spreads around town, and I can guarantee that it will, there won't be friendly face in Angel Grove for her to turn to. By exposing the truth, I've rendered her powerless to ever come against you again. Now that she's gone, you can go back to living your life without that sword hanging over you."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Oliver, but I can't see myself going back to that school. How can I face the other kids with them knowing my secret?"

"It's okay, Katsume, you don't have to go back." Trent answered with a squeeze to his son's shoulder. "I'm going to be pulling you out of school and then we're keeping close to the manor till we leave for our trip."

"I've already called the others." Tommy said as he walked up to them with the other teens at his side. "The best way to move on is to keep shopping. So, why don't you miscreants continue browsing the stalls. I know you still need to get those decorations."

In a softer voice he added. "You all need to remember that your old selves were burned away, you were blessed by a shaman and given your new names. Now, when things are the most daunting, is when you need to act like Miscreants the most."

At his gentle reminder, they teens took a few moments to re-center themselves and when they walked towards the next vendor, they did it as Miscreants.

Tommy saw them all walk back to the stalls and then turned to Skull who was holding his hands with a beautiful brunette who was dressed in a very bohemian style. Her name was Ariel and she had a very welcoming smile.

"Hey Tommy, it's been a while!" She said as the former rivals shook hands.

"I heard that you guys had come back into town." Tommy answered. "I have your son for homeroom. The first time I saw him walk into the room, I did a double take, he's the spitting image of you."

"Hopefully he behaves better than I did." Skull answered.

Tommy nodded. "He spends most of his time reading that biking magazine, but other than that, he's one of the better-behaved students."

Skull grinned and shook his head. "I'm afraid he gets that from me. Ever since he started spending time at my bike repair shop, he's become a total grease monkey. He really wants to start designing and building motorcycles."

Tommy cocked his head to the side. "Rocky might be in the market for a bike soon. I know that's what Kyle wants to ride once he gets his license."

Well when he decides what he wants to do, he's welcome to visit the shop." Skull replied as he pulled out his wallet and took out his business card. He handed it to Tommy and then took his Ariel's hand again.

"I'll pass this along." Tommy answered as he looked up to see Kimberly waving him over. "In the meantime, Kim and I have teenagers to supervise."

Ariel frowned in concern. "That was pretty intense earlier. Are they going to be okay?"

"Yeah, Katsume's a strong kid and we've had a plan in place for a while. By the time we get back from our road trip, he'll be fine."

* * *

 **So, this is not how I planned this chapter, but as it happens, this chapter began to write itself. I hope you will hang in there with me. The next chapter will be up soon!**


	27. The Next Flight Out

**Continued from the last chapter…**

Trent's mind was in overdrive as he watched the teens shop. He was silently cursing that bastard to hell for causing all this trouble. He was doing his best to be a father figure to Katsume and then that mother fucking bastard _just had_ to throw a monkey wrench into everything!

"The next move is yours, Trent." Tommy said as he walked along side his former student. "I'm sure you'll want to get your son out of Angel Grove as soon as possible."

"Yeah, I am." Trent replied with flashing eyes. "If that pig is still in the city than I need to get Paladin out as soon as possible. I'm going to take him completely out of state until that arrogant dickhead is out of commission."

Their dark gazes met and then looked away. "I've got things here if you want to go make your reservations. I'm betting that the rest of the Miscreants will want to come along. I don't know how the civilian parents will decide, but I know for sure that Kyle, Autumn and Elisa are being pulled out.

"I know I said that we were going to stick close to the manor before the trip, but I'm going to move sooner than that. As soon as the Teens are done with their shopping, we should grab some drive through and then go home. I'm gonna have Paladin pack a duffle bag and his art supplies and we're getting on the first flight available.

Tommy nodded and then looked at Kimberly. "We're coming with you then. If Elisa and Autumn are coming along, then we should be additional chaperones."

Trent gave his mentor a raised eyebrow. "And what are you going to tell The Little Ninja?"

Tommy smirked. "That's not going to be a problem. Her grandparents are eager to see her again. I call them to baby sit and they'll be over within the hour. When her Grandparents are in the room, we don't exist anymore."

* * *

 **The Manor**

 **A couple hours later**

"If you guys are going, then you need to get to your lair and pack for a week." Rocky said as he looked at Kyle and Autumn.

"Don't waste too much time fussing over clothes". Adam added looking at his daughter. "I'm putting more money into your prepaid account. Anything extra you need, can be bought once you get to Portland."

"Is that where we're going?" Kyle asked.

Rocky nodded. "Yes. The plane leaves in a few hours, so hurry up."

Before long, the teens, including Elisa in her wheelchair were being loaded into the La Carlita that had been quickly emptied once they got home. There had been a brief discussion about which vehicles to take, but in the end, they had decided to take the Hummer Limo again. It would ultimately save on gas and there would be no need to spend any extra money to park the car in the parking lot. Rocky would drive them to the airport and then come back home. Aisha of course was going along so she could see her son off; she would miss him terribly as this was the first time they'd be separated by sheer distance.

While they stood off to the side, Adam was busy raking Kyle over the coals while Tanya hugged her daughter.

"Take care of my girl, she may be your mate, but she was my daughter first."

"You didn't want to leave that speech for our wedding day?" Kyle asked as he looked at his future father in law.

"Don't be a smart ass, Pyre." Adam answered. "This is a dangerous situation, and it's my prerogative to remind you to look after her as many times as I want."

"Yes sir." Kyle answered, seeing how serious Adam was.

"Good. Now give me a few minutes with my daughter."

Trent stood by the door as Katsume helped Elisa into the back seat of the car. In the meantime, The Miscreants were huddled up, briefly discussing what would happen while they were separated.

"Our parents already okayed the trip, but they want us to spend a few days with them before going so far away." Lief said. "Grandma said she misses me with all the time I spend here, so, I'm spending a few more days with her before Sapphire and I hop a plane to meet you guys."

"My dad is okay with it, but he wants to drive me there personally. Kind of like an impromptu father son trip." Rook said. "We'll all meet up in Portland."

"In the meantime, I've let dad know about our plans for that throne. He already said he'd do the basics for us so that our set up will be ready for us when we get back. Do you remember what we discussed?"

Rook nodded. "I'll sketch it out so your dad and the others will know what we want it to look like. I think it'll give them something to do while they're missing you."

"All right you guys, let's load up!" Trent called from the driver's seat of the SUV.

Katsume glanced at his dad and then at the group. "We'll see you guys when you get there."

Kyle and Autumn nodded and then they put their hands in the middle. "Miscreants, Roll out!"

After the girls hugged each other, those departing walked towards the limo and Kyle helped his mate to climb in and then climbed in himself.

Tommy and Kim took turns hugging their daughter. "You be good for your grandma and grandpa. We'll see you at the end of the week."

Kayla hugged her parents back. "I'll miss you! Be safe!"

With an extra kiss and hug, both parents turned to the limo and while Kim held the baby in her sling, Tommy secured the rear facing car seat into place. Once everyone was seated, La Carlita pulled out of the driveway and towards the Airport.

As the limo drove down the road, Trent's phone went off telling him that he had a new email. He tapped the screen and nodded to himself, putting it away, he looked at his mentor. "That was confirmation of our tickets, did you manage to get your tickets as well?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, sadly we weren't able to score first class seats like we wanted to. But it's only about an hour and a half flight, we'll be fine in coach. What did you get?"

"It was a little more, but we got First Class seats." Trent said regretfully. "With Elisa in a wheelchair and it being Katsume's first flight, I figured it best to let Money talk…you pay more, but you get better service."

"Good thinking." Tommy said approvingly. He wanted to say more, but the nervous look on Katsume's face made him stop and go back to checking his phone.

The rode the rest of the way in silence..

* * *

 **The Airport**

Thankfully, Trent was correct in his assumptions. The people at the curb were very helpful and while they helped check in the luggage, Trent and Katsume helped Elisa in to her chair.

As this was going on, Rocky and Aisha pulled their son off to the side to have a proper goodbye.

Rocky hugged his son again and then held him at arm's length. "It's doubtful you'll be followed, but I still want you to be aware of your surroundings. Remember everything I taught you and keep each other safe."

"Yes, Sir."

Rocky nodded and then pulled out a 50 from his pocket. "Spend wisely. This is just incase your card doesn't work properly. You'd be surprised how many times that can happen."

"Thanks dad. I love you both."

"We love you too, son."

Aisha hugged her son longer. "I hate having you so far away from me with everything that happened. But I know you'll take care of each other.

We've got this mom, we're miscreants."

Aisha wiped away a tear. "I know, baby. You are your father's son. Just be careful out there and make us proud. If you need anything, call me."

Kyle hugged his mother tightly. "I will. I promise."

Autumn stepped up to them. "I'll look after him. He's my mate, we learned everything from you guys."

Aisha took a deep breath. "I know you will. You guys should get going."

The process of getting through security was as easy as Trent predicted. With his VIP status, they were let through pretty easy though the ladies were just cooing over Tommy who was holding Maverick in a baby sling close to his chest. Kimberly only rolled her eyes while shouldering the manly looking diaper bag over her shoulder.

By the time everyone got to the waiting area, everyone was kind of paunchy and ready to get to their destination. While they waited, Kyle and Autumn sat closely together listening to some music on his MP3 player. The Olivers sat in the corner to give Kimberly some privacy as she fed their son and Tommy read a fitness magazine.

That left Trent who was busy on his laptop and the newest couple sitting awkwardly next to each other.

This was not what Elisa had in mind when thinking about spending more time with her new beau. She had been thoroughly enjoying things while they were shopping and trying on costumes…and then that stupid bitch had opened her mouth and spewed her venom…

"Paladin. We need to get rid of the elephant in the room. It's taking up too much space."

Katsume looked at her with a pained expression. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier, I never meant for you to find out about what happened…not like _that_."

Elisa grimaced. "But now that it's out in the open, we should talk about it, before it ruins this entire vacation."

Trent peered up at the conversation but said nothing. This had to play out without any help.

"What's there to talk about? My secret is out in the open now and now you know my dirty secrets."

"That lady was nothing but a bully, no different than Jezebel and her minions. They were doing everything they could to belittle me and every other disabled kid in the school. They took so much satisfaction out of rendering me helpless and that stupid bimbo at the flea market was doing the same thing to you. Jezebel's minions stole my crutches and that bimbo spewed your secrets and humiliated you. I don't see the difference between my bullies and yours."

Paladin deflated at her words and sighed heavily. Elisa gently placed her hands over his. "Neither of us can go back and change what happened. But, what we _can_ do is move on from this. Knowing what happened to you doesn't change how I feel about you. You got drugged and used, but that wasn't you're doing anymore than it was my fault for being born with disabilities. Things just happen and there's not a lot that can be done about it."

With those words, Elisa managed to turn what Katsume had seen as a mountain back into an mole hill and then set it on fire. He gave her a speechless look.

"I've read my share of romance novels and they all seem to end the same way. The heroine of the story has her secret found out and then runs off before her lover can stop her and then it takes months for them to get back together. Personally, I'd rather just bypass the drama and skip ahead to the part where we kill the monster and then ride off into the sunset."

Katsume snorted at the imagery and then looked at his girlfriend.

"You make it sound so easy."

Elisa nodded. "It can be, if we take it down together. I really want to build up this relationship up and for us to flourish…but we'll need to work together to make it happen."

Katsume grinned at her bold challenge. "Shall we continue, Lady Olanys?"

"Yes, let's do this, Paladin."

Kimberly grinned at the sight. "God, can they get any cuter?" She whispered to Tommy.

He only grinned at her and went back to reading the article.

Meanwhile, across the way, Kyle and Autumn were in a world of their own. She'd pulled out her smartphone and was scrolling through a costume shop's website and Kyle was lightly commenting on each one he saw.

"Please, Corazon. Stay away from Leg Avenue, I don't want to spend the whole night beating the vultures up."

Autumn snorted. "You're saying that you don't want to see me in that sexy getup?"

Kyle gave her a look. "No need, I can see all of you whenever I want…please, for my sanity, get a regular costume."

Autumn snorted and scrolled past the sexy catholic costume and on to the others.

"Ok, so I think I want to go as a dragon. I'd just need some wings, a set of horns and a trip to Hot Topic to get the rest. I need to get a swimsuit anyway. In all the rush to pack, I forgot mine."

"Now that's an idea…I can't wait to see you in a two piece." He gave her a sneaky look and shenarrowed her eyes.

"So, you don't want me in a sexy schoolgirl costume, but you have no issue with me wearing a bikini."

Kyle gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry, Corazon. I'm a man of simple tastes…and you in a two piece…I can't help myself."

Autumn shook her head. "Yeah, I'll be buying a coverup to go with it…and a pair of swim shorts."

Kyle pouted at her, but she simply kept scrolling through her phone.

* * *

In what seemed no time at all, their gate number was called and they all got in line to have their boarding passes scanned. Down the concourse they walked until they got to the door of the plane and Elisa stood up and was handed her crutches. Her wheelchair would be checked in with the other large items and would be waiting for her when they arrived at their destination.

When they were finally up in the clouds, Katsume looked over at his girlfriend who was looking through a costume magazine and lingering over the men's section.

"You planning to dress me up?" He asked in a teasing voice.

She grinned up at him. "Every elven lady needs a paladin to defend her against all evil candy thieves."

He gently pointed to a knight costume. "I wouldn't think the almighty rogue elf would need a paladin to protect her."

Elisa sighed heavily. "I'll need a paladin once we get to Sea World."

When her boyfriend looked at her in question, she added. "Anytime I'm in a public place, like a theme park or even at a mall, people will take advantage of the fact that I'm in a wheelchair. People get impatient and will cut in front of me, crowd around me and reach over me, just because they think I can't speak up for myself. It gets really exhausting and frustrating. It's one of the reasons I prefer to use my crutches instead."

"And the other reason?" Katsume asked softly.

Elisa bit her lip. "I'm not ready to talk about that yet… not in such a public place."

Katsume wanted to press for more information, but he held back, the look on her face was silently begging him to let it go. He would, for now.

He took a deep breath and then looked at the picture again. "I'm all for being a virtuous knight, but I refuse to wear tights."

Elisa giggled at him as she turned the page.

* * *

 **Holiday Inn**

It was a tired group of travelers that trudged through the open doors of the Inn. As the teens sat in the lobby, Tommy and Trent walked up to the desk to check in and pick up the room keys. For the week leading up to them departing on Amtrak, they would be staying in three rooms, one of them being an accessible suite which the ladies would be occupying the other two were for the men.

After getting the keys, Tommy walked over to the teenagers. "Ok, lets go. I know we're all on vacation, but for the week, it's boys and girls in separate rooms."

Kimberly stood next to Elisa and Autumn. "We get the accessible suite on the bottom floor. Plenty of room to chill out and be girls…well, when I'm not busy taking care of a very cute baby boy."

Tommy turned to Kyle and Katsume. "Looks like we're roomies. Let's get going."

Trent took his own key card. "And I'll be in my own suite." He said to Katsume. "But I'll be checking in on you."

"You need anything, I'll be in my room."

Katsume gave him a questioning look.

"I'm a private person, son." Trent answered. In a softer voice he added, "Remember the real reason we're here so early."

Katsume nodded and then in a normal voice, he answered. "Okay Dad, I guess I'll see you in the morning."

Trent smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder. "Sleep well, Paladin."

In true gentleman fashion, Tommy and the guys carried the extra luggage to the girls room and said their good nights. Katsume lingered for a moment and then asked to steal a moment with his girlfriend. She stood up on her crutches and followed him a ways down the hall to the seating area.

"What's on your mind?"

Katsume sighed softly. "You. How amazing you are, how well you're taking this."

Elisa smiled at him. "There is something really special about you, and I want to find out what it is. No relationship is easy, and I think it's all just a speed bump in the road. We'll just drive carefully over it."

Katsume gave her a long look and then kissed her cheek. "Good night, my lady."

Elisa smiled at him and then kissed him back; this time, she kissed his lips. "Good night, my Paladin."

Kimberly watched from the doorway as the lovesick teenagers hugged once more and then parted ways for the night.

The beaming smile on her young face told Kimberly everything. She shook her head in amusement as Elisa walked through the door. "Time for bed, Milady. We're going on a shopping spree tomorrow; you'll need to get lots of sleep."

* * *

 **30 minutes later**

All was quiet in the room except for Kim who sat on her bed quietly nursing her son. Autumn was already asleep though she was just a little fitful and Elisa lay in her bed listening to her iPod. She'd never really been an easy sleeper, not without her music; being in a buz from her boyfriends sweet words wasn't helping either.

She inhaled deeply as the next song came on. She'd always loved this song…even before she knew the full story about the woman singing it. It seemed to give life to her love-sick thoughts in a very visceral way…

She smiled in the dark as the song continued.

 _ **Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight  
'Til tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight  
And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be  
Than here in my room dreaming about you and me**_

* * *

 **So, there you have it. I wasn't planning for the story to go this way, but this is better than what I had planned. Now that the heavy stuff is over, the fun can begin.**

 **The partial lyrics from above are from Selena's song. "Dreaming of You." This song just fits them in a cute innocent way. When I think of Katsume and Elisa, this song plays in my head.**

 **Anyway, feel free to click the review button and tell me what you think of these last two chapters. I'll see you all next time!**


	28. Stranger Than You Drempt It

**And I'm back! This chapter is a filler, but needed to flesh out Elisa's character. That's how you know if a character I create is going to stick around. Anyway, I hope you all like this and will give it some love.**

 **Our hero's are now in Portland and the next couple of chapters will focus on the events going on here. For now, it's the morning after all the drama and they are busy getting regrouping and figuring out next steps.**

 **Full Disclosure: I've never been to Portland before and I'm guessing that there would be the bigger chain of hotels in the city. Also please remember that this is AU!**

 **Profanity warning for this chapter, but that's about it. So, feel free to read on and see me at the bottom.**

* * *

 **Portland OR**

 **Holiday Inn**

Elisa lay in bed listening to her iPod as her thoughts whirled around in her head. Things weren't not as it seemed.

During the night, she'd heard both Mrs. Oliver and Autumn moving around. She'd heard the quiet conversation with her husband but immediately tuned it out as soon as she realized how private the conversation was.

Then she'd heard Autumn cry out for Kyle; though her tone was muted, it was a desperate sound and she left the room right after that.

All this she'd seen from the comfort of her bed. Something was strange about these people; not a bad something, but something that was not normal.

"Good Morning, Elisa!" Kim said as she walked over and sat down on her bed. "Did you sleep ok?"

Elisa gave Kim a smile. It had been so long since she was woken up like this. With a mother figure gently waking her up. Her oldest brother had done so, but it was not the same.

"Yeah, it's just been a while since I slept in a room with other people."

Yeah, I guess it can be a little weird huh, I guess it's a pretty quiet house with just you and your brother isn't it. It can be a little noisy with three other people in the room. Maverick still hasn't learned to be quiet during the night."

"It's okay, it's kind of comforting. Usually I have my CD player with my ambience music on; knowing that I'm not alone in the room helps me sleep."

Kimberly gave her a motherly smile. "Oh sweetie, I wish you would have told me that. It's nothing to get a small CD player if you need it."

"It's ok, I had my iPod with me." She paused and looked down to see her iPod was dead. "Though I think the battery died during the night."

Kimberly smiled at her. "Well, the good thing is that you can charge it while we're at breakfast."

As if in direct response, her stomach growled loudly. Kimberly grinned at her and then pulled over her wheelchair and locked it in place. "Shall we get started?"

Her cheerful demeanor was contagious. Elisa was caught up right along with her as she got up and transferred to her seat. "First stop, the bathroom."

* * *

 **The Lobby**

Katsume sat at the round table in the lobby of the hotel digging into his free continental breakfast.

To say things were awkward was an understatement. If he'd been an outsider, he's be totally confused. This morning, when he'd gotten the call that the room was clear and he could come in, he'd wasted no time getting his gear and getting back up to Trent's room to shower.

When he'd left the room, Trent had been on the phone talking to his lawyer and from the tone of his voice, he was out for blood. It still felt kind of weird to have an adult working to avenge him. For a second, he felt sorry for that asshole that was after him and the bitch who had humiliated in…but only for a moment, he was beyond ready to put all that ugliness of his past behind him. He really thought he had, until that bitch brought it up and threw it in his face.

He really hoped his foster father put them down like a rabid dog foaming at the mouth.

Paladin?"

Katsume looked up to see Kyle and Autumn standing at the table.

"Hey guys, are you all good now?"

Kyle grimaced. "Yeah, sorry about that, dude. The panic attack came out of nowhere."

Katsume nodded. He'd known it was time to leave the moment he looked up to see Autumn straddling his mate. The soft groan that Kyle let loose was all the encouragement he needed. He left the room the moment that Kyle lifted his mate's shirt over her head.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too. I didn't mean to let you witness any of that. The Dragon took over."

"Please don't worry about any of…that. I know how the fusion works. As long as you guys are okay and level, I'm happy to never bring this up again."

"Good deal." Kyle answered. "Anyway, how are you this morning? Yesterday massively sucked."

"I'm ok. Elisa and I discussed all of that and we're cool now. Really, I just want to move on from that and focus on what the next steps are. I'm safe and now I just want to focus on the fun."

"I like the sound of that." Kyle replied as his girlfriend leaned against him. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Aunt Kim is taking Elisa and I shopping. It's been a while and I wouldn't mind adding a few things to my wardrobe. Elisa needs a swimsuit and other girly things, so…she trailed off and winked at Katsume who smiled down into his hot chocolate.

"Yeah, I'm trying to be honorable. I could do without those visuals."

Kyle took a sip of his mug and then grinned. "Yeah, that's a moot point, I think. She just walked into the lobby.

Katsume looked up and found that his friend wasn't lying. Elisa was hobbling over to them on her crutches and she looked gorgeous!

Katsume got up from his seat as she approached. "Good morning, Milady."

Elisa grinned up at him. "Morning, Paladin. How are you?"

"Better now that you're here. Need some help getting breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'm really hoping for some waffles and I noticed they have the waffle iron set up…" She trailed off as Katsume grinned and gave a little bow.

"Your wish is my command."

When he walked off with her, Kyle grinned and pressed a kiss to his mate's hair. "Those two are adorable."

"So are you." Tommy said as he sat down in the next open seat. Tommy had his son strapped to his chest again and he was drinking coffee from a mug. "Are you good now?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, though I don't know if I can handle sleeping alone anymore. Last night was proof of that."

"I feel the same way, though I think the episode we had last night might have been triggered by more than just the showdown last night."

Kyle snorted. "I heard all that from our seat last night. I have a whole new respect for Aunt Kim. She destroyed that fussy lady."

Tommy huffed a laugh. "By the time we boarded the plane, my mate was way over everything and just ready to be left alone. Her self-control was frayed by the time we got into the van."

"Can she really tell the difference between a knock off and the real thing?" Autumn asked.

Easily." Kimberly said as she sat down next to her husband. "After all these years of being a mallrat, I know my name brands…not to mention that I have the real version in my closet at home, and the stitching on her purse was all wrong."

"You've got to teach me that." Autumn answered. "I want to start upgrading my wardrobe and…" She trailed off looking over her uncle's shoulder. "You've got to be kidding me."

Tommy turned around to see an older teenager stirring up trouble while trying to intimidate Katsume who stood protectively in front of Elisa. While the offender was doing his best to intimidate him, Paladin's body language was bold and unworried.

 _Like a knight._

When the bully walked away, swearing under his breath, Katsume relaxed and then went back to the waffle iron and pulled out the waffle. He grinned at his girlfriend and then asked her about syrup gesturing to the white non descript jugs.

Kyle relaxed and then smiled. "Yeah, he's good."

"Was there any doubt?" Katsume asked as he walked up with Elisa. He paused as his girlfriend sat down at the table and then put her plate infront of her.

"What was that all about?" Autumn asked.

The Asian teen shrugged. "Guess he was really hungry and we were taking too long for his liking. He tried to push us out of the way…I've never been called Bok Choy before, but I told him that ladies come first and that he had so much padding on him that he could wait another minute to get his food."

Kyle snorted. "You should probably watch your back, just incase."

"I'm not worried, Pyre. After everything that's happened in the last 30 hours, I'm feeling invincible. What can that moron do that hasn't already been done to me?"

"Nothing." Autumn affirmed. "You've got us watching your back."

Tommy grinned at his wife at the show of solidarity. Of all the things they'd passed along to the teens, working as a team was something they were happy to witness.

"Good to know." Trent said as he walked up. He took the last place at the table looking like a man with a plan.

"Nice that you could join us. You've been holed up in that room for some time." Tommy noted.

"Yeah, well someone has to plan our next move while you all were playing around." He said as he sat down with a cup of coffee and a muffin. "Dad and I have been strategizing and booking the next hotel. He was also able to find a wheelchair accessible van for you guys to use today."

"Wow, thanks Trent." Kim replied. "What else did you come up with?"

Trent smiled at her and replied. "While you ladies are out shopping, Katsume and I have a meeting with my father and the lawyer. The both of them are flying in today and we're meeting them for lunch and then he's driving us to our new hotel for the meeting."

"That was fast." Katsume commented.

Trent nodded. "I'm ending this mess so that we can all get on with our lives. I'll be your adoptive dad soon and part of that job is to keep you safe. You've been through enough and I'd really like to end this before it turns into the end of every dramatic movie where the victim sacrifices themselves just to keep the others safe."

Saying this he leveled his gaze at Katsume. "You're not allowed to do that. Right now, your job is to be a teenager, hang out with your crew, stuff your face on junk food and leave the dirty work to the adults."

"And if he comes after me?" Katsume asked biting his lip.

"Why do you think we brought you all the way out here?" Trent asked his son. "This is a safe place to be right now and I expect you guys to be having fun and not worrying about what that donut muncher is up to. We've got loads of backup that _he_ doesn't know about. He tries anything, he'll be a bug flying into my web."

Katsume nodded and then got back to eating.

Elisa looked between them as she ate. The day before, Trent had been the caring responsible adult and was making every accommodation she needed and he checked on her more than once after boarding the plane, but now there was untold power radiating from him. It wasn't scaring her, and she felt even safer with him around. There was something extra about all of them really, but she wasn't sure what it was. Her boyfriend was the only one that didn't seem to have something extra special about him. Well, aside from being gorgeous and sweet and completely into her; it was something she'd never thought she'd find…

"So, did your dad mention where the new hotel was?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, sorry." Trent said "It's the Monaco suites. Dad's made arrangements already and there will be no questions asked beyond whether we need more towels and blankets. There are a few art museums nearby along with good restaurants and a shopping mall. We've already called ahead, and they'll have an accessible room ready by the time we get there. It's close to everything, including the Oregon zoo. You guys will never run out of things to do."

Tommy nodded. "Were you able to secure a wheelchair van?"

Trent nodded. "Yep, I got that along with an SUV for myself. Both should be here in time for our checkout."

 **~M~**

Elisa sat in the shower washing her hair. Kim was nearby should she need assistance. She'd never used an accessible shower it was liberating. It had a built-in seat and grab bars and everything she hoped for. Her brothers had done everything to make their house accessible for her, but that was nothing compared to what this hotel had to offer!

"Hey, you're pretty quiet in there!" Miss Kim called. "You okay?"

Elisa was snapped out of her thoughts. "Yeah, just enjoying the shower. This is the fanciest bathroom I've ever been in!"

"Oh, well what kind of bathroom do you have at home?" Kim answered as she stood next to the sink.

After our parents died, my brothers gave me the master bedroom and bathroom so that all my equipment would fit. I have a regular bathtub and shower with a shower chair and Hayden installed grab bars before he left for boot camp. But I've grown a lot since then and they need to be adjusted; sadly, Bradley isn't much of a handy man. This shower is awesome, and I wish I had something this fancy back home. Not having to step in and out of the tub every time would save me some falls."

"How often have you fallen?"

"Not all the bruises I have are from Jezebel and her minions."

"Well, I think your chances of getting hurt just went down a bit. You won't have to worry about bullies with us around.

That brought back her former chain of thought. Standing just outside the curtain was Kimberly, also referred to as the Pink Death Warrior. She'd caught the look of warning that the adult gave to Miranda at the name. There was a just something different about her guardian.

"Not that you need our protection, Paladin's already doing a good job of that."

She couldn't have stopped the grin if she'd tried.

When the shower was done, she used the grab bars to stand up and grabbed the towel that was hanging just outside the shower curtain and began to dry herself off.

Kim had already left the bathroom when she pulled the curtain back and the young lady smiled seeing that her wheelchair was already there within easy distance along with her basic underthings. Once decent, Elisa rolled herself into the room and found Kimberly was sitting on her bed looking through the newspaper.

She didn't say much as Elisa pulled on her day clothes, but when she reached for her hairbrush Kim put the inserts down.

"So, what are we shopping for at the mall today? Is there anything you need besides a swimsuit?"

"I'd like to get some kind of coverup, to go over my suit."

Kimberly nodded. "So, are we going with a one piece or a two piece?"

"I'm not ready for a bikini yet. The last time I wore one, things didn't turn out well."

Kimberly put down her newspaper, "Oh, care to tell me about it?"

Elisa went quiet, unsure of how much to tell.

"Did someone hurt you?" Kimberly prodded.

The teenager had no idea how it happened. Maybe it was the motherly tone of voice or the way Kimberly seemed to care about her. But the story just flowed out of her and into the security of the room.

"You weren't there for it, but the day Katsume got in trouble…it was because of me."

* * *

 **Sometime later…**

When Autumn walked into the room, she saw Kimberly hugging Elisa. She stepped back by the door and let the moment play out.

"I know you're there, Wyvern." Kimberly's soft voice called out to her.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Kim. The guys are getting restless…especially, Uncle Tommy. He asked me to come in here and check on you guys."

Elisa pulled back and used the tissue to dab at her eyes. "Thanks, Kim. I feel better now. Though I still don't think I'm ready for a two piece."

Kimberly smiled at her. "That's okay. It's your choice, though if you want to get one of each, that's okay too. I just checked the inserts, and there are end of season sales going on all over the mall for swimsuits. We can hit them all up if you want."

"I'd like that." Elisa said with a small smile.

"Then it's settled." Kim said with a voice of she looked up at Autumn, she added, "And you can let my sweet husband know that I'm fine. We'll be out in a few minutes."

Autumn smirked and muttered, 'Mates' under her breath and Kimberly winked at her.

Ok, now she was sure of it. She looked between Kimberly and Autumn. There _was_ something different with these people.

"Elisa?" Kimberly asked in a softer voice. "You okay?"

Elisa bit her lip and then decided to go for it. "I know there's something secret about you guys. I won't pry into your secret lives or ask for private details, but I think you shouldn't have to keep up the act around me."

Kim sighed. "We'll have to talk more about this later, but for now, we need to keep up the act."

"Are you going to mind wipe me or something?" Elisa asked looking worried.

Kim sighed and shook her head. "I'd be more worried if the oath I took was still intact. Our power is our own, but still, for now, we need you to keep this secret.

"You won't mind wipe me, will you?" she asked again.

Autumn shook her head. "No, we don't have that technology yet, but we're all better off if no one knows what we are or the fact that Kyle and I are mated either. It would be disrupting our lives and there is way too much drama going on right now."

Elisa put up her hands. "I swear I won't blab, I just hate it when people feel the need to pretend for my benefit. I feel safer knowing that you guys are superheroes."

"Well, we're going to have to pretend anyway, at least as far as the outsiders go. Your brothers can't even know."

My lips are sealed. "We never talked about any of this."

Kim nodded. "Thank you, Elisa. Now let's finish getting you ready. It's almost time to check out of here."

* * *

 **The lobby**

 **Checkout time**

When Katsume came down, he'd changed from his usual hoodie and distressed jeans to a white button-down shirt, dark jeans, along with his dog tag and his hair looked so soft that she immediately wanted to reach out and touch it.

"Wow, you look awesome." She commented softly.

"Isn't that my line?" Katsume joked.

Elisa chuckled. "Sorry about that."

"You look even better; I'm going to be thinking of you all day."

When Katsume pressed a kiss to Elisa's forehead, Trent had to fight against the urge to roll his eyes at the open display of affection. When it was over, he took a deep breath and then made his presence known.

"Hey, we better get out of here. My father should be at the restaurant soon and he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Katsume pressed a kiss to Elisa's hand. "'Till tonight, Milady."

"I miss you already."

When they were gone, Tommy shook his head. He didn't miss much, and he tell just how uncomfortable his former student was at all the love being displayed. If he would just let go of what happened, he might find someone even better!

But alas, it wasn't his place. So, he turned to the crew and pressed his hands together. "So, shall we get going?"

* * *

 **Yeah, we all know that Elisa would eventually figure out what was going on. She's a very observant young lady.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying this fic as much as I am! What do you guys think will happen next? I'd love to hear your theories!**

 **Please leave reviews and I'll see you guys next chapter!**


	29. The Shopping Do-Over

**So, here we go again. Thank you all for your patience, I had a small relapse but now I'm back at it and ready to give you loyal readers two chapters to read!**

 **There's some light swearing in this chapters, but it's mostly just a fun chapter!**

 **So, read on and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Portland Mall**

The wheelchair van pulled up to the handicap space and parked.

"Alright, ladies. We've arrived at your mecca." Tommy joked as he got out of the driver's seat and walked around to the side of the van to deploy the ramp. As Kimberly helped Elisa roll her chair down to firm ground, Kyle and Autumn stole a moment for themselves.

Kyle held her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "We're going to the store to get some more supplies. Is there anything you wanted me to get you?"

Autumn smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I'm good, I'm sure this shopping trip will cover all the basics, though after last night, I wouldn't mind some aspirin and an icy hot patch."

At her words, Kyle grimaced. "I'm sorry about last night, did I really hurt you that much?"

Autumn gave him a dramatic look. "Last night you were unhinged…like a desperate howling demon…you frightened me!"

Kyle gave her a look. "Really? You're going to choose _now_ to Mortica me?"

"Tis the season!" she said as she leaned closer. Then she whispered. "You tore my underthings last night. Now I have to replace them."

Kyle shrugged. "I'd happily pay for that."

"No, I can take care of that myself. You just focus on replenishing the stash. I'm not about to get knocked up right now. And you can get me a Klondike bar while you were at."

He looked like he wanted to make a joke of that, but Autumn gave him 'the look' and he only chuckled. "I'll happily buy you a whole carton, okay?"

Tommy cleared his throat at them, and they broke apart. "Whenever you guys are ready…"

Autumn rolled her eyes and then grinned at her mate. "Just kiss me and get going. I need to go get pampered."

Kyle kissed her sweetly and then smirked again. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Love you, Mi Corazon."

* * *

 **The Pearly Oasis**

Trent pulled up to the restaurant and checked the address. "Huh, I was expecting something fancier." This was a seafood and steakhouse, and even though it was tastefully decorated, it was not as posh as restaurants he father usually chose to meet at.

He looked over at Katsume who was fidgeting with his shirt. Trent put a hand on the teenager's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. This is just a meet and greet with some food. They're both here to help you out. Just relax, enjoy the food and answer honestly. That's all there is to it."

Katsume took a deep breathe and then got out of the car and followed his adoptive father inside.

The moment they walked into the door was greeting by the seating hostess, Katsume saw his adoptive father's posture and attitude change.

He walked with a confident Aire while keeping an eye on his son and everyone took notice. The hostess was quick to seat them and take their drink orders.

"Dad, this is Katsume Shen. Soon to be a Fernandez. Katsume, this is my father Anton Mercer."

The man gave him a gracious smile. "Greetings, Katsume. Welcome to the family." Then he looked at the woman sitting with him. "Guys, this is Moriah Winters. Of Winters, Sidney, and associates. They'll be working on this case."

Katsume looked at the woman as she stood up to shake his hand. She was dressed casually, but she looked like a fighter. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a neat braid and she had a set of simple gold hoop earrings and a matching chain. She wore a casual outfit and her eyes were very pretty, though he could sense that she was very shrewd lawyer.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I've been reading up on your file and I must say that I'm very impressed with what I've seen. I especially enjoyed the video from that fashion show. You looked like a natural up there!"

Katsume shrugged. "It was fun. I'd never worked a catwalk before."

"And how did it end? were the animals adopted?"

Katsume nodded. "All the ones that were featured were snapped up pretty fast. Anubis, the Doberman was adopted by a rich older lady and they hit it off right away. I could tell they'll be living out their golden years together for some time to come."

* * *

 **The Mall**

 **Macy's Department Store**

Elisa sat in her chair with several swimsuits in her lap. This was the bright side of being petite, there were still a good amount of suits in her size. So far, there were a lot of one pieces and they were pretty, but as she watched Autumn looking through the bikini's she found that she'd begun to second guess her decision to cover up with a one piece.

She'd witness the brief exchange between Kyle and Autumn and though their kiss had been chaste, there was something intense between them; as if they didn't want to be apart, but for some reason, there was a need for it.

"Elisa? You still with me?" Autumn asked as she saw that her friend was off in her own thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about stuff."

"Oh, anything I can help with?"

"It's something I talked about with Mrs. Oliver…I want to buy a two piece and it would be easier to wear, but I'm nervous about what could happen if it draws the wrong attention."

"Well, how about we try both on and then you can see how you feel wearing them. There's also middle ground with this this tankini. You get full coverage, but you also have easy access in case you need to use the bathroom."

Elisa nodded and bit her lip and then added. "I'm afraid of what Katsume will think of me if I show so much skin…and if he sees my piercing. I don't want him to think badly of me."

Autumn gave her a look. "Piercings are cool and nothing to worry about. You may have forgotten, but he's got wings on his back; you having a piercing? It's kind of fitting."

Elisa giggled. "You think so?"

"Hell yeah!" Autumn said. "You both are a couple of bad asses! We can even get you a new piece of jewelry before we get our nails done."

Elisa blew out a slow breath and then made up her mind. "I've hated hiding it all this time. I'm ready to show it off again."

"That sounds like a fabulous idea." Kimberly said as she walked up to them. "But first, we need to try these suits on!"

* * *

 **The Monaco Suites**

 **Trent's room**

 **About an hour later**

Katsume sat on one of the beds as the adults talked. He didn't understand much of what was being said, but he could read the body language of his father and knew something big was happening.

"Just what is it you hope to accomplish?" Anton asked his son as the lawyer typed on her laptop.

I want to end all this. There's a manhunt going on for this Officer Michaels, and I'll leave that to the good guys, and deal with that asshat teacher that decided to single out my son and use degrading language towards him. It's not Katsume's fault that he was a foster kid. I'd really hoped that we'd left all that drama behind in LA, but things went to far when Mr. Hatche decided to start shit up in public and in front of everyone.

The laywer nodded. "Why don't we start at the beginning, she said as she pulled out a voice recorder and set it on the table.

Katsume started and told her about wanting to sit with Elisa and how that idiot ex-boyfriend of hers was bashing her and how he'd defended her honor and then about getting the detention. "He kept calling me a Street Rat."

That's when Trent stepped in. "Connor True-Heart stepped in and did his best to take some of the heat off and how he managed to get separate detentions for them. I'd have left things alone if it stopped there, but then after they ran into each other at the grocery store, and Hatche showed his hand."

Trent looked at Katsume and then back up at the lawyer. "He used that derogatory name again and then threatened to make his life a living hell. Right after that, we got a restraining order against the probation officer and that teacher. A couple of days later, Hatche went after him again. He publicly attacked Katsume and threw him against the locker. Again, we got the confrontation on camera."

On top of all of that, we have an eye witness from the store. A Mr. Skullovitch was right there to see it all go down and he's volunteering to help stand against Mr. Hatche should we go before the school board or take the teacher to court."

The lawyer looked very pleased. "Well, I think this is an airtight case and I should have no problem cleaning these people out…if that is what you want." She added a moment later looking up at Trent.

"I coming for blood." Trent said coolly. "And I want to put the fear of the gods into that whore that slandered my son. Katsume has an ideal life waiting for him back in Angel Grove and he deserves to experience all of it once we deal with everything. He's got an amazing girlfriend, a gig working with animals and soon he'll have a meaningful job once the café opens. But he can't do all of that with those rabid dogs nipping at his heels. The sooner we can put them down, the sooner his life can start."

* * *

 **At the Mall**

"Hey Babe, can I buy you an ice cream?" Autumn looked up to see an older teenager standing at their table with a charming grin. "You look pretty hot sitting there."

The male looked to be eighteen years at least. He was physically imposing and sported a black tank top with an evil looking serpent for a logo and the words, **Final Strike Dojo** Printed overhead.

Autumn rolled her eyes at him, _please don't let this be a Karate Kid moment_. She prayed softly to herself; a moment later she looked up at the waiting male. "I'm flattered, but if I needed something to drink, I can get it myself."

"You sure, pretty lady? I can give you anything at all…the skies the limit."

Autumn gave him a look over and then smiled seeing Kyle approaching the table. "Seriously, I'm good. My boyfriend's here. If I can't get it myself, he'll get it for me."

The teenager snorted. "You're using such a tired line…I bet you say that to all the guys."

Kyle walked around the table and kissed the back of his girlfriend's neck. Then he leaned possessively over her; planting his hands on either side of Autumn and growled in warning. "I promise bro, she doesn't need a line; anything my queen wants, she gets, and I _love_ serving her."

The challenger gave him a derisive look. "You're her boyfriend? She's got to be settling."

Autumn felt her mate's irritation and decided to end the standoff. "My mate has nothing to prove. He's never failed to satisfy me and I'm deliriously happy to be his."

Kyle heart roared happily at her words. He kissed her hair and then gave the offending intruder a sneer. "My lady has spoken; Scram!"

When the teenager hesitated Kyle growled louder and then looked at Elisa and Kyle shook his head. "You're not getting anything from her either. Her boyfriend is my best friend and she's under my protection too."

The offending male chuckled. "Please, I don't fuck with crippled bitches."

Elisa inhaled sharply and blood rushed to her face at the insult and Autumn hugged her closely as Kyle walked around the table like the alpha male he was and got into the dude's face. "You are way out of line! Disabled or not, she deserves respect and you owe her an apology!"

"What? Are you gonna make me? I don't see an army."

"I don't need one to take you on. You've been nothing but a douche bag since you walked up in here."

The bully tried to slap him, but Kyle dodged it easily. Just as the fight was about to escalate, Tommy stepped in. "That's enough Pyre." He said evenly. "You can go back to your mate now."

Kyle nodded, "Yes, sir."

When he walked away, he heard the bully mutter under his breathe. "Pussy."

Kyle turned around but Kimberly was there to stop him. "Leave it alone Pyre. He's not worth the trouble."

"Yes, Ma'am." Kyle answered as he walked back to the table and kissed his mate. When he looked over at Elisa he added. "Are you alright, Milady Olyanis?"

The name made Elisa grin at him. "Now I am, Pyre. Thank you for defending my honor."

Kyle grinned back at her. "The honor is mine, dear lady. You are under my protection until your Paladin returns."

A couple of ladies nearby were aweing at the sight. "See, ladies, chivalry isn't dead!"

Autumn grinned up at mate and chastely kissed his lips. "Nope, I mated to the most honorable warrior of the realm."

Kyle kissed her back and hugged her tight. "Now, that the drama is over, this honorable warrior is starving. Is there anything I can get for you fair ladies while I'm up there?"

By the time Kyle got back with a loaded tray, Tommy was seated at the table while Kim nursed their son.

Kyle had gotten both ladies refills and he'd gotten the biggest burger and fry combo they'd ever seen.

"He's definitely his father's son." Tommy murmured to his wife.

Kim chuckled and answered. "I never doubted it for a second."

Tommy shook his head and then sobered up as something clicked in his head. "Pyre. Do you know why I intervened?"

Kyle nodded. "Because my skills are for defense only."

Tommy nodded. "Not only that, but that was one of the fighters from the Final Strike Dojo. They'd like to think they're Cobra Kai and they fight just as dirty. If you'd come to blows, that punk would've had no problem 'sweeping the leg'. You are first and foremost my nephew and the last thing I want is to have to call your father and tell him that you are in the ER."

Kyle bit his lip. "Or in a body bag?"

Tommy rolled his eyes and gave his nephew a look. "How long have you been waiting to use that reference?"

Kyle snorted. "Ever since I watched that movie." He paused and looked like he wanted to say something else, but he kept it to himself. Next to him, Autumn giggled feeling the amusement from her mate.

"Anyway," Tommy drew out the word. "We need to be prepared in case those dishonorable snakes decide to take revenge."

"Are we starting up the morning sparing sessions again?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, I hope that nothing comes of this today, but as I said before, those snakes fight dirty and I wouldn't put it passed them to try something sneaky."

Kyle nodded. "I'm all for it."

"Mr. Oliver?"

Tommy looked at her. "Yes, Elisa?"

Elisa bit her lip. "I wanna learn to defend myself…I know I can't use my legs…but can I learn too?"

Tommy nodded. "I don't get many students that are physically disabled, but I know there are a few adaptive styles out there. I'm going to do some research on it and find a way to make it happen."

Elisa gave him a bright grin. "I can't wait to learn!"

"Or you could just ask me." Eric Myers said as he and Wes walked up to their table. "I've been studying alternative styles out there, including styles for disabled students."

"Hey guys, it's nice to see you again!" Kimberly said as she adjusted the bib over her shirt.

"We heard through the grape vine that you guys had made your way over here." Wes said as he straddled an extra seat pulled from another table. "The ladies are with the rest of the crew back at the manor."

"We're going to be shadowing you guys until this case is put to bed." Eric added as he joined the table.

"I'll welcome the back up." Tommy commented. "Especially with what just happened."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, we caught all that." Eric said. "First we hear about that _epic_ police chase after we left and then we come to see you guys and find you having a standoff with that punk. You guys just can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you?"

Kyle nodded. "Yep, but you missed out on the confrontation this morning at the breakfast line." At this, Elisa hid her face.

Eric shot her a glance and then looked up at Kyle for information. "Some dude tried to push his way in front of them to get to the waffle iron and Paladin put him in his place. I guess it's a Miscreant's thing now. Bullies start fights with us and we finish them."

Tommy chuckled. "Guys, this is Elisa, Katsume's girlfriend and all around awesome young lady. She's under our protection while her older brothers are away."

Wes smiled at her and held out his hand. "I'm Wes Collins and this is Eric Myers. We're the leaders of the Silver Guardians and now you've got two more friends to tag along."

"I'm happy that you're here, but shouldn't you be shadowing Paladin?"

"They are." Katsume answered as Trent finally caught up to them. "But I got distracted when I saw something cool in one of the shops…and then Wes saw some kind of fight going down." He frowned and looked at his girlfriend. "Is everything okay?"

Elisa smiled up at him. "It is now that I've got my Paladin back."

He smiled at that and stole a kiss. "Just let me grab some food and then I'm all yours."

Elisa giggled at him. "Hurry back."

Kimberly saw the whole thing and smiled up at Tommy and stole a kiss of her own.

With all the extra people that had shown up, they had to move to the biggest round table in the food court.

"So, how did the meeting with your dad go?" Tommy asked Trent as he burped Maverick.

Trent took a sip of his drink. "It's all good. Mrs. Winters is a very shrewd lawyer. She won't let up until she gets every last cent that's allowable by law. We armed her with all the proof we have and now we let her go to work. In the meantime, we need to get back to our downtime."

Turning to his son, he added. "So now with all that nasty stuff out of the way, the rest of the day belongs to you teenagers. What do you guys want to do first?"

"Well, I know it sounds silly, but I saw a Build A Bear workshop back there." Elisa said softly. "I know it's for kids, but I've really wanted one and there's just never been enough money in the account, especially after the chair lift broke down."

Katsume grinned. "Let's do it then, but after we get our wax hands done. I've been eyeing it ever since we walked in."

Kyle grinned. "Let's do it then…but we should finish eating first!"

* * *

 **I just can't seem to stay away from movie references...and The Addams family and The Karate Kid movies are some of my favorites! LOL.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it and will hit that review button and leave me a review!**

 **When that is done, go on to the next chapter!**


	30. A Hero Emerges!

**So, this chapter is a little shorter than the last but I hope it will still be enjoyable.**

 **This chapter comes with a Trigger Warning for mention of child abduction/trafficking and abuse. I wasn't sure I wanted to include the events of the chapter, but after talking with my amazing friend, fanficrulez, I've decided to just go for it. (Really, I don't know what I'd do without him!)**

 **if you guys can get through that, there's some sweet stuff afterwards.**

* * *

 **(Continued from the last chapter)**

 **About an hour later…**

 **The Wax hands shop**

"One more dip and we're almost done." The nice lady said as she guided their hands into the liquid wax. Kyle grinned at his mate as their joined hands were drawn out of the wax and slowly brought over to the cold water vat and dipped again.

While Autumn and Kyle were getting their wax hands created, Katsume and Elisa stood off to the side, waiting their turn. Getting this done would be their first act as a couple, their joined hands molded in such a permanent way would be a symbol that they were in love.

"So, which colors should we get?" Katsume asked. "There's a lot to choose from."

"I kind of like green. In wax, it's a lighter shade…" Elisa trailed off as she heard a soft commotion in the promenade of the mall. She wheeled herself out of the door and listened closely, doing her best to tone out the voices of the other patrons of the mall.

Behind her, Katsume was looking all around and his eyes zeroed in at a little girl running through the mall at break neck speed…well, at least for a little girl. Behind her was a mean looking man and he was chasing her…

They watched as the little girl ran past them and as soon as she was clear, Elisa pushed hard on her rims wheeled her chair hard, and rammed it into man, who went flying with a loud grunt and landed on the floor a few feet away. A second later, Katsume was on the man holding him down with his knee on the dudes back, struggling to pin the man down to the carpet.

 _Shit, he stinks like old beer._ Katsume groaned as the smell made him want to vomit. The second of distraction was all he man needed to shift under him and throw him off, pinning him by the neck. In the next second, Trent and Tommy were there working as a team to secure the man to the ground as Wes and Eric ran to give them back up.

"Go help your girl." Tommy commanded in a calm deadly voice as his eyes glowed green. Paladin nodded, got up and looked around for his love; he smiled as he saw the terrified little girl being held in his girlfriend's arms as she sat on her lap. They were next to a build a bear work shop and she wheeled her chair into the store, and he followed her in.

 _This was not what he was planning on for their day of fun, but as he was learning, being a hero was a full time job._

When he walked in, he saw that Elisa was speaking to the girl calmly and the child had her arms around his girlfriend in a death grip.

"Shh, you're safe now." Elisa told the little girl soothingly. "Why are you running?"

The little girl shook her head as tears streamed down her blotchy face.

Katsume watched them for a second and then fingered his pendant. He always wore his dog tag, but now he wore his pendant and today he was glad he had, for it had a listening device implanted.

He slowly approached the pair and made a little bow to her. "My lady Olaynus, you've dropped your magic amulet back there."

The girl recoiled at his voice and Paladin backed away slowly after his girlfriend put the pendant on.

She looked at the little girl and rubbed her back soothingly as she felt the little girl pee her pants. Still she acted as if nothing had happened.

"Hey, he's not going to harm you, that's Paladin and he's a knight of the realm."

The little girl looked up at her in surprise. "He is? Like in the books?"

Elisa smiled when her tears stopped and she only hiccupped. The little girl was looking up at her in wonder.

"Yeah, and I'm Olaynus and an elf."

"Like the ones that help Santa?"

Elisa shook her head. "No, those guys live up at the North Pole. I'm more of a warrior elf."

"But you don't have the pointy ears."

"Well, that's because I have to hide them when I'm among mortals. Can you keep my secret?"

The little girl nodded as she hiccuped again. Elisa looked up to see that Kyle and Autumn were standing in the doorway keeping their distance. When the little girl looked over at them, Elisa added. "And those two are my friends. The girl is Wyvern and she's a dragon lady and the guy next to her is a firebird. But they have to hide their identities just like I have to."

The girl nodded again and then looked over at the bears longingly, her fear temporarily forgotten.

Elisa noticed and carded her tangled hair. "Would you like one of these bears?"

"I had one, but the mean man threw it away."

"You must really miss your bear, huh?"

The little girl sniffled again. "Yeah, Mommy gave him to me but then she went with the angels."

"Well, why don't we make you another one?"

"You can do that? Daddy said they were always too expensive."

"Well, I have plenty of gold to get you another one. And I bet we can even find a dress to put her in." Thankfully a very attentive worker had been listening to the conversation and walked over slowly to help. She was more than willing to play along as she saw the Silver guardians standing near the entrance with a lady who wore a metal badge around her neck.

The worker gave the both of them a brief curtsey. "Milady, welcome to Build-A- Bear, what are we building today?"

Outside the entrance, Pyre and Wyvern were explaining what was going on to the detective while two uniformed police officers were detaining the bad guy.

"That's Olaynus and Paladin inside with that little girl." Pyre explained. "She's wearing a listening device disguised as a pendant."

The detective gave them a confused look. "What are those code names or something?"

"Yeah, we're The Miscreants" Wyvern added. "A task force helping out the Special Victims Unit in Angel Grove. We're on a brief vacation before we officially go on duty."

Before she could ask any more questions, he turned on the volume and they listened into the conversation that was being transmitted to the app on his smartphone.

" _What's your name?" the attendant was asking as she held out a magic marker ready to write down the name on the tag of a vary fluffy pink teddy bear._

" _Alyssa Morgan" the little girl whispered._

Immediately, the detective typed in the name as the little girl spelled it and hit the search button. Instantly her picture showed up as an Amber Alert.

"She's been missing two weeks and we couldn't find her anywhere."

"Well she's found." Pyre answered. He turned and pointed to the man on the ground. "That's the guy that was chasing her."

The detective called one of the officer's over. When he approached she said. "That's our best suspect over there, let's take him in for questioning. Go ahead and call her dad in, as soon as she's done with her bear, we can take her back to the station."

The officer nodded and walked away, and the detective tuned back to them. By now, they'd made it to the stuffing machine.

"So, how soft do you want her?"

"Really soft! I had to lay on a hard floor last night. I want her as soft as a pillow!"

"How terrible!" Elisa gasped. "A pretty princess like yourself shouldn't have to sleep on a floor!"

At that, the girl stiffened. " I don't want to be a princess…that's what the bad guy called me. He told me that…a pretty princess should get a lot of money…"

Elisa hid her anger well as she nodded. "I see. Well, what are you then… a fairy maybe?"

The little girl nodded. "I want to be a fairy! Then I can use magic to keep him away!"

Well then, I know a perfect spell just for that. Do you want to me cast it on the bear?"

The little girl gasped. "You know magic too!"

"Yeah, I'm am an elf after all!"

The worker grinned at the sight and held out the special fabric heart. Why not cast it on this heart and we can put it inside the bear once you stuff it?"

Elisa grinned and thought hard for a second and then held the heart in one hand and moved her other one in such a way that the little girl believed a spell was being cast, then she chanted a few words in elvish and Katsume was sure he'd heard that in the Lord of the Rings. When she was done, she repeated the words in English. "May the light of the elder stars chase away the fear in the night and give you happy dreams!"

She looked at the little girl and then added. "Now it's your turn to wish on this heart and then let this wonderful fairy godmother sew her up."

The lady nodded and then led her through the process of making a wish and then sewing up the bear. When she handed the bear back they went to the 'dressing room' and together they put on a tinkerbell like dress and then they found a pair of wings to go with it and then found a pair of undies and right about the time they found them, the little girl realized that she'd peed her pants earlier. She gasped and then looked up at her protector. "I went potty…I'm sorry!"

Elisa smoothed her hair back. "Hey, let's just finish up here and then I have some wipes with me, and you can get yourself cleaned up. We're in a mall, I'm sure we can go find a spare pair to replace the ones that got messed up."

The little girl nodded, and they continued on. When they got up to the register the cashier rang up the purchase, Paladin approached and handed them his reloadable Visa card.

"Thank you, Paladin."

"Of course, Milady. I'll be at the exit when you fair folk are finished."

When they were done, they rolled out of the door to see the detective lady and the silver guardians waiting for them.

The detective knelt down to their level and introduced herself to the little girl."

"Hi Allysa, I'm detective Noela and I've been looking for you everywhere and so has your dad!'

The little girl's face lit up! "He's all better? The bad guy hit him!"

"Yeah, he did, but your daddy is a strong fighter. He only needed a trip to the Emergency Room to get some stitches and he's all better. In fact, he'll be waiting at the police station for us."

The little girl looked back at Elisa and then hugged her tightly. "Thanks for saving me and I won't tell your secret."

"Thank you, Alyssa. But you better get going so you can get back to your daddy! I'm sure he misses you like crazy.

The little girl kissed her cheek and then walked off with the detective, her bear in hand and the little paper in the other.

* * *

Kimberly walked up to them with a look of pride on her face. "You handled that perfectly."

Elisa sat back tiredly. "I did the best I could…but now I'm really going to need those wipes to clean off along with a change of clothes. That sweet girl had an accident."

"Well, we _are_ in a mall and there's a Hot Topic right there, we can go pick out something real quick and we passed the family bathroom back at the food court."

Elisa smiled. "Let's do it and then I want our turn at the wax hand station."

Autumn pushed Elisa into the Hot Topic store and in no time located an outfit that caught her eye. When she pointed it out to Autumn, her best friend grinned. "You ready to show off that body jewelry?"

Elisa grinned at her. "Yeah, after today, I feel like a bad ass."

Then let's not stop with just the skirt, let's get the whole ensemble! It's even on sale!"

Elisa grinned and nodded. She was going to blow her boyfriend's mind!

When they got to the register, the dude manning it grinned at her. "We saw what you did today. That was so bad ass."

"Thanks, I'm just glad I could save the little girl. She was such a sweetheart."

As he rang up their purchase, another woman who looked like the manager reached over him and typed a code in. "What you guys did was heroic, so you're getting a discount on your purchases. I wish more people were like you guys."

Elisa grinned at her. "Thanks! I really appreciate it!"

Katsume looked up as they exited the store with their bags. He cocked his head to the side when she gave him a wink and a naughty grin before Autumn wheeled her towards the women's bathroom.

Tommy looked at them and then at his wife. "I've got Mav, you should probably go supervise…"

Kimberly grinned at him and then pecked his cheek before she followed them.

* * *

"Alright, ladies. Let's see the goods." Kim said as she stood in front of the handicap stall. "That was a pretty naughty look you were shooting Paladin, young lady."

"It's not as bad as you think, Aunt Kim." Autumn said. "I promise."

"As things stand, I'm not sure I can take your word for it, Wyvern. You're mated now and definitely not the innocent little girl you were a few months ago. I saw that sexy bikini you got off the wall; I sure hope you have a cover up that matches!"

"Like you have room to talk, Aunt Kim. I've heard how bad you and Uncle Tommy were at our age."

Kim snorted. "Touché!" Then she turned her attention to the other girl under her care. "Now, do you need help Elisa?"

"The wet wipes help, but I'm going to need a hot shower when we get to the hotel tonight."

Kim nodded. "Okay, do you need any perfume? I have a small sample bottle in my purse."

"No, it's okay, we grabbed a bottle from the clearance table. It'll work for now."

When she came out, Kim grinned at her. "Huh, that's cool. Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be."

Elisa looked cute in her Nightmare Before Christmas crop top and black plaid skirt with a zipper on the side. Her new black and purple belly button jewelry matched the outfit perfectly. The look was finished off with some stripped knee socks and her flats that she'd worn that morning. She looked very cute.

"I approve." Kim said as she looked her over. "Are we all set to go?"

"Yeah, I'm hoping there's a laundromat nearby. I hate to leave pee in my jeans for too long."

"It's going to be fine, most of these luxury hotels have a laundry service available. We'll have them washed when we get back."

* * *

Katsume couldn't hide his grin as they came out of the bathroom. His girlfriend was gorgeous! "Milady, you are stunning!"

Elisa grinned up at him. "And you my Paladin are biased!"

He grinned leaning down and kissing her forehead.

"Alright you two, break it up, already." Kyle said with a laugh. "We have things to do today!"

Katsume shook his head and then looked up at Kyle and raised an eyerbrow. "Oh, hi Pot, I'm Kettle!"

That only made Kyle laugh harder. "Yeah, I know. But we really would like to finish getting our wax hands done and didn't Elisa want to get a bear made too?"

Elisa grinned and leaned up, returning the kiss. "They've got a point. Let's get back to having fun."

The adults laughed in amusement, but followed behind the teenagers back to the wax hands shop.

Inside the store, the lady in charge beckoned them over. "Well, are you guys ready to get started If you'd like, we can get a stool for you, ma'am."

Elisa shook her head and slowly stood up to her feet, wobbled a second before Katsume put an arm around her waist. "I can hold you steady." he said pressing another kiss to her forehead.

The worker smiled giving them that tender moment. "Whenever you guys are ready."

Katsume and Elisa smiled as they joined hands and then let the lady get them started. With their hands covered in lotion, they dipped their joined hands in to the wax.

Autumn pulled out her camera and captured the sweet moment and then Kyle stole a kiss from his mate.

When they were done, they left the store and went on to the Build-A-Bear Workshop. This time, they retuned to a hero's welcome.

Elisa picked out her bear, a Halloween themed bear with little fall leaves dotting it's white fur. Katsume gently pushed her chair to the next station.

Autumn and Kyle, however, took a little longer to pick a bear. Autumn picked up a white bear and looked at Kyle.

"What are you thinking about?" he said softly fingering the soft fur.

"Us…" She looked over at a bear on the shelf a little ways from them. The bear was identical and had on a white bridal dress and veil. Kyle looked at her and pressed a kiss to her neck. "Someday, mi Corazon. I can't wait to marry you."

She looked back at him and then walked over to the que in front of the stuffing machine.

Tommy and Kim walked behind them and watched everything with amused grins.

"How much you wanna bet that they'll be married the moment they turn 18."

Kim chuckled. "I think the only thing stopping them is Adam's sanity."

Tommy chuckled at her and added. "I know how he feels…I'm not sure I'm ready for that playdate between our daughter and the son of Skullovitch."

Kimberly rolled her eyes but said nothing. "You know what? I'm going to get a bear for our son, it'll be nice to have a friend next to him in his crib." She didn't even wait for her mate to follow, but pushed the stroller forward towards the bin.

Tommy sighed and followed his wife. He was careful to be sweet to her the rest of the day.

Wes and Eric watched the whole scene in amusement. They knew exactly how he felt.

* * *

 **So there you go. I probably would have added more, but I want them to get back to Miscreant Business in the next chapter. I know this was a heavy chapter, but I promise that there's a good reason for it that will come up later. I wanted to add more, but I felt that what happens next deserves it's own chapter.**

 **Until next chapter, guys!**

 **-slytherensangel26**


	31. A Brief Respite

**And I'm back with another chapter. I know at the end of the last chapter that this next chapter would be epic and deserved it's own chapter, but as I was readying to begin writing, I realized that this filler chapter was necessary as so much happened in the last chapter of 9 Months that i needed to show the reactions of the Miscreants before they have their day out. That will happen next chapter.**

 **With all that being said, this chapter is another of those instances where it practically writes itself. I'm really excited to write about their double date, but this chapter is needed so that what happens next makes more sense.**

 **Anyway, this chapter doesn't really need any special warnings beyond some foul language; it's pretty straight forward.**

 **So, enjoy the chapter and see me at the bottom.**

* * *

 **The night before…**

 **The Teen's Luxury suite**

When the teens finally got settled into their suite, which was handicap accessible, they began to look at the in-room menu, wandering what they could order for dinner.

"I dunno, we've never ordered in room food service before, I'm not even sure how that works." Kyle said as he looked over the in room menu.

"Maybe we should ask Trent or one of the adults about it." Katsume suggested.

As if in answer to their question, there was a knock on the door. When Kyle answered it, they saw that it was Wes and Eric with a pizza party….no it was a pizza feast. There were 5 different kinds of pizzas, a big order of wings, two orders of breadsticks along with a huge assortment of dipping sauces and 5 kinds of sodas.

"Hey, guys.' Wes said as he set down the plastic bag filled with red solo cups and paper plates and a roll of paper towels. "We come bearing dinner."

In response Katsume's stomach growled. It was a very comical moment.

"How did you know we were hungry?" he asked. "We were just about to call you."

"It's not so much knowing you were hungry," Eric said. "It's more like we need to have a discussion; having good food to eat helps create a more relaxing atmosphere."

When everyone was settled into their feast, Kyle looked up at the men. "How bad is the news?"

"Never said it was bad news, it's more of an update on the situation in Angel Grove." Wes answered. "And we also wanted to discuss your plans for tomorrow. We're your security, we'd like to know what kind of plans you've made for day two of your vacation."

Katsume nodded. "I think we should get to the heavy stuff first. How screwed am I?"

Eric gave him a glance. "Trent made the right call when he got you guys clear of the city. The donut muncher was definitely in the city.

At Katsume's look of dread, Eric added. "You can breathe freely, Paladin. This is actually good news for us."

"How can this be good news? Did anyone get hurt?"

"Eric's right." Wes answered. "The crew is fine. They never even got close to the manor." After pausing a moment, the Silver Guardian continued. "We got a call from Diesel tonight-about an hour ago. It turns out, that the Donut Muncher showed up at a restaurant that is run by a few of his buddies from his days in the warrior league. That pig went after a waitress. Thankfully, nothing really bad happened, and the workers at this restaurant handle things in house and the pig was soon thrown out.

"The good news is that in doing what he did, we know what kind of guy he is."

"Other than being the bane of my existence?"

Wes nodded. "Before you go all brooding teenager on us, let me continue."

Katsume sighed and leaned back against the couch. Next to him, Elisa took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently in silent support.

A moment passed before Wes continued. "What he did showed us that he's an arrogant SOB that has no problem throwing his weight around. We also don't think he's aware that people are looking for him. his overconfidence is making him sloppy and that means that he's going to make a mistake soon enough. As soon as he screws up again, it's game over and _he'll_ be one worried about dropping soap in the showers."

The visual in his head, made Katsume grin. "The sooner he's gone the better. I really want to put all this crap behind me."

Eric gave him a long look. "That's the plan."

A few moments of silence followed while everyone munched on their food.

Wes looked at the teenagers again as he sipped from his cup. "So, about those plans for tomorrow; What did you guys have in mind?"

"The zoo for sure." Kyle said. "I've seen a few videos online, I've always wanted to go."

Wes nodded. "That sounds like loads of fun. What about after that?"

Kyle looked at Autumn and then at Katsume and Elisa. "Well, Autumn and I want to go to the Japanese Tea Garden…as a double date with you guys. The place is gorgeous and we thought a few shots there would be a nice keepsake from our trip."

"And for your wedding portfolio?" Katsume asked. "You don't have to make up excuses just for us."

Autumn bit her lip. "Yeah, that too. We thought we should get it done before the rest of the crew gets here. Rook would be the odd one out and we don't want him to feel uncomfortable."

Eric took another sip from his cup to hide his smile. He loved seeing such sweet moments like this. It reminded him of his early days with his wife. Though he always put on a stoic mask when he was on the job, he did have a soft spot that only his close circle knew about.

"So, a double date it is." Wes finished. "Is there anything else you wanted to do?"

Kyle gave the guardians a long look. "Honestly, we didn't think that far ahead. You got any suggestions?"

Wes nodded. "Actually, I did."

When the teens looked at him expectantly, he continued. "If you really want to see the city, public transit is the way to go. There's a rail system close by that goes straight to the zoo and the gardens. That way you could see the city and avoid parking fees. I looked into transit earlier and the trains are all accessible."

Kyle looked at Elisa and at the others. "What to you guys think? Everyone here gets a say."

Elisa nodded. "Yeah, I've never used public transit. This should be fun!"

Kyle nodded and looked at Katsume. "Bro?"

"I'm there. I've only used transit a couple of times, but never a train."

Eric cocked his head sideways. Just how did you manage to get around the city? Did you walk everywhere?"

Katsume shrugged. "I had one of those razor scooters for a while, before it was stolen by another student from my old school. That's what got me arrested in the first place. That scooter was given to me by the Marines at **Toys for Tots**. It meant a lot to me and I couldn't bear the thought of not having it…so I threw a punch at the older student and I got my but kicked and then I got arrested for fighting and that only led to my current situation. Somehow, I ended up with the probation officer from Hell. After my probation time was up, I started volunteering at the Animal Shelter and a few volunteers were able to get me some bus vouchers and on the colder days, someone was able to give me a ride to and from the kid's shelter."

The day Conner and Kira found me, I was walking around trying to put up flyers so that Tris could find her forever home."

Eric and Wes looked each other. His record had mentioned that he got arrested for assault, but it didn't tell the full story. The report they'd found had to have been filed by one of the pig's cohorts. It made things out to be way more criminal then it needed to be. With Katsume, being a shelter kid, no one would give the police report a second glance.

In the morning, they'd have their wives do some extra digging to find out exactly which officer had written the report. Eric was willing to bet that it was one of the idiot cronies.

Katsume took a deep breath and then looked up at them with worried eyes. "Can we please just skip past this part and watch a movie or something?"

* * *

 **Trent's Room**

Trent stood over his laptop, gripping the counter of the little kitchenette as he spoke to Diesel over the Skype.

"How are you feeling about all of this? " Diesel asked giving him a concerned look. "This is a lot to deal with."

"I feel vindicated…now I know I wasn't being paranoid."

Diesel nodded. "I agree with your decision. With the teens out of harm's way, the Police can focus on catching the donut muncher."

Trent smirked. "Are we all calling him the donut muncher now?"

Diesel smirked. "There are many other names I could use, but there are little ears around here. Kayla's already said her first cuss words in public, I don't need to give her anymore bad language to repeat."

Trent smirked at the screen. "That's a hell of a milestone. I wish I could have been there to see that. How are Dr. O and Kim handling it?"

David, who stood behind his father shook his head. "Kayla witnessed her mom do a grab and twist on a handsy stalker and your mentor knew nothing about it until now. You might want to give them a little bit of space while those two work things out. Knowing my brother, he's going to be in a mood for a couple more days before he gets over it."

Trent shook his head. "I'm no expert, but this soul fusion thing sounds pretty intense. I've already seen how it impacts Autumn and Kyle, I can't imagine how Kayla will handle things when she gets old enough."

David shook his head while giving his dad a side eye.

Thankfully, Trent didn't see that. Instead he blew a breath out and then sat down in the chair. As he ran a hand through his hair, Diesel spoke again.

"You're looking very stressed, Trent. I know this is a serious situation, but you should take time for yourself when you can; the last thing anyone needs is for you to collapse from exhaustion."

Trent shook his head. "I'm fine, I promise. All I care about is keeping him safe."

"That's all well and good, Son, but you need to breathe once in a while. Are you even sleeping at night?"

Trent nodded. "I get a few hours every night. I'm good."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Son." Diesel said. "You're doing a great job looking after those teenagers but you should take time to relax and unwind. Go get a massage, go for a walk, go to a movie. If you put all your focus on one thing, you could miss something important."

Trent sighed. "I hear you, but I just don't think I can risk losing focus. That donut muncher could slip right by me while I'm being distracted and go after Katsume. I promised him he'd be safe!"

"Don't try and shoulder all that responsibility on your own." David added looking really serious. "You're no good to your son if you're passed out in a hospital somewhere. You have four other ranger veterans to back you up."

Trent huffed as he realized there was no good answer to that; he knew he was cornered.

"Fine, I'll go take some time for myself. Is there anything else you want to add?"

"No, that should do it for now." Diesel finished looking unconvinced. "I have grandkids to spoil."

When the call ended, Trent rubbed his eyes and then looked towards the bathroom. This luxury hotel came with a luxury bathroom and in that bathroom was a jacuzzi.

There was nothing more he could this night. He may as well make use of that fancy hot tub.

Closing his laptop, he stripped his clothes off and headed for the bathroom.

 _Might as well get in some personal time while I still have a chance._

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

 **In the grand suite**

"Elisa? Are you awake?" Autumn called into the smaller room.

There were two rooms in the big suite. Autumn and Kyle took one and the other was for Elisa and her wheelchair.

The aforementioned teenager slowly sat up and looked at the girl in the doorway. "Autumn?"

"Good morning! You have a call from your your brother, Hayden.

"Really?" Elisa asked sleepily.

Autumn nodded. "Yeah, we're doing a Skype Call in the living room. Do you need help getting up?"

Elisa yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, would you mind getting my robe?"

After a few minutes of getting dressed in appropriate clothing, hobbled into the living area on her crutches. Wes looked up at her and then at the screen. "Here's sleeping beauty now."

After sitting in the chair that Wes pulled out for her, Elisa grinned at the sailor in front of her.

Hayden!" She exclaimed in excitement. "I didn't think I'd hear from you so soon!"

"With all the sudden excitement going on, I wanted to check on you. My CO let me have some down time to call you."

"Oh we're fine. But I don't know what I'm allowed to tell you. We're hiding out right now."

Hayden nodded. Yeah, I know about that since Wes and Eric filled me on the basics. What I care about right now is how you're doing with all this…" He trailed off gesturing in her direction. "What have you been doing with all that free time?"

"Well, I got to fly first class on the way out here and then we went to the mall yesterday." Here she stopped unsure if she should tell her brother about the rest of it.

Wes grinned at her. "Hey, I didn't say anything about your heroics. Not my story to tell."

"Heroics?" Hayden asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What's he talking about?"

Elisa bit her lip. "Well, Katsume and I were waiting for our turn at the wax hands shop when I heard a lot of noise in the mall. I saw a little girl being chased by a bigger guy that looked angry…so I took him out….with my wheelchair; he went flying. And then Katsume pinned him till Dr. O could take over."

Hayden looked at her in shock. "Wow, I didn't expect that. Is your wheelchair ok?"

"Yeah, it's still in good condition, though I can't say the same for the dude. He was pretty banged up."

"And the little girl?"

"I took her into the Build A Bear and kept her busy till the cops came."

"You shouldn't gloss over how awesome you were." Autumn commented. "You're a hero now."

"I agree with her." Hayden added "There's a bigger story there."

"Her name was Alyssa and there was an Amber alert out on her. That guy I took out was the guy who kidnapped her. I took her into Build- A- Bear and helped her make a furry friend." Elisa bit her lip and couldn't keep the grin from her face as she added, I told the little girl I was an elf in hiding and that Katsume was a knight of the realm. He stepped in and helped me keep up the illusion, fancy talk and all. It helped her calm down till the nice lady from the Special Victims Unit came to get her and take her back to headquarters.

When she finished she looked back at her brother who favored her with a proud look.

Atta girl. You make me so proud."

You're not upset?"

Hayden gave her a soft smile. "Not one bit. You saved a life and now that little girl is back home. I'd expect nothing less from my little sister."

She couldn't help but bask in his praise. When the moment was over, he took a deep breath.

"So, what did you buy?"

The hotel we're going to next has a big pool and I didn't think I'd need swimsuit so soon. I got a tankini and a one piece just in case my nerves get the better of me."

At this her big brother gave her a look of concern. "Are you having set backs from that asshole?"

"I was at first, but Miss Kimberly talked me down and I feel better about everything."

"Don't let what that asshole did steal your joy. I know why you're hiding out, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take time to have fun. Don't spend all that time in doors."

"We're not. All of us are going to the zoo today and then later we're going to the Japanese Tea Garden so that Kyle and Autumn can get some couple pictures together. We're going to use the metro train to get around just like real tourists!"

Her brother grinned. "Sounds like fun." Then he paused. "Do you need any money for today?"

Elisa bit her lip again. "I still have my card. Katsume's been paying for the little things. Everything else is taken care of by Mr. and Mrs. Oliver. I haven't needed to pay for anything so far."

"He's really spoiling you, isn't he?"

Elisa grinned and spared a look at her boyfriend. "Yeah, he's been great."

Hayden chuckled at the besotted look on his sister's face. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. I hope you guys haven't forgotten the ground rules that we agreed to."

At this, Wes stepped into the view of the webcam. "He's been a perfect gentleman. She got the room and he spent the night on a cot in the living room. Eric and I are the chaperones for today's outing."

The sailor sighed in relief. "Thanks guys. That makes me feel better. I know you can't give me details on your itinerary for the next few weeks, but just promise me that she'll be safe."

Wes nodded. "That's in our job description. We're friends with Dr. O and his wife, but we're also the heads of The Silver Guardians. We're providing security pro bono. If that's not enough, both Kyle and Autumn are trained Martial Artists and so is Dr. Oliver. Once we get to our next destination, our wives will be joining us and they're also trained soldiers. They both served in the special forces before they joined the private sector."

Hayden blew out a slow breath. "Thank you, that makes me feel better." Then he looked at his sister. "I want a couple of pictures of you at that tea garden. There are not enough pictures of you as it is; don't forget to smile for the camera."

At that, Elisa smiled. "Okay."

* * *

 **Down in the Lobby**

Trent sipped from his latte and sat back in his booth. It was a quiet morning for him after a very relaxing night. He'd spent at least an hour in the jacuzzi letting the jets work their magic. He'd not slept so well since he'd come to Angel grove…even before he'd agreed to be Katsume's benefactor, he'd been on edge. First it was a broken heart and stinging rejection that made him lose sleep at night and then it was worrying over Katsume's health and safety. But last night, he'd let him self relax and now he was up with the sun and ready to begin the day.

After taking another sip of his caffeinated beverage, he opened his laptop and signed onto the Hotel WiFi. The first site he went to was the MySpace profile for the Miscreants. As Bon Jovi's 'Dead or Alive' played he smiled. They'd picked the perfect theme song for their crew.

He spent a few moments looking at their snapshots, especially the ones with the six of them with their backs turned to the camera. Katsume had done a great job with their logo and the shot looked legendary.

He scrolled down some more and saw the slide show from the fashion show and smiled. The kids had done a phenomenal show and the snap shots looked amazing. The profile page looked solid, but he wondered what could happen if he were to help them get a website of their own with professional photos and even branding their group logo so no one else could steal their thunder.

All that was pretty easy to do and he would have to discuss it with the Miscreants themselves, but he could at least get started with copywriting their name and the logo.

As he scrolled down further to the comments section, his smile turned into a frown and then he looked absolutely livid as he saw the comment section. Someone had filmed the confrontation at the flea market and posted it to the section, he pulled out his headphones and plugged it into the jack. He played the video and swore softly when he saw that the clip only showed the first half when the bitch was spouting her accusations. There was no mention of Kimberly's part of the confrontation where she defended his son's honor.

He took off the headphones and went through a quick breathing exercise. _This was fine, he could easily fix this issue with a call to the lawyer._

When he felt calmer, he opened his eyes and looked up to the concierge desk.

 _Well shit._

There with a rolling suitcase was Miss Gabriella Anderson. He'd spent enough time fantasizing about the lovely councilor to know that it was definitely her. When she turned around and their eyes met, Trent knew he was in trouble.

 _Double Shit._

When she walked over to him, he closed his lap top and schooled his features to look as confident and relaxed as he could.

 _How did she even find him?_

"Mr. Fernandez, what are you doing so far from Angel Grove?"

"Miss Anderson, I could ask you the same question."

As Gabrielle opened her mouth to retort, a third voice joined their conversation.

"Miss Anderson. I had a feeling you'd show up."

The both of them looked up to see Kimberly Oliver standing a food away with her hands on her hips.

Trent exhaled softly and looked at Gabriella. "Miss Anderson, meet Kimberly Oliver."

* * *

 **So, that was an unexpected twist, wasn't it?**

 **What do you think will happen next? Leave your thoughts in a review. I love getting them!**


	32. Attack of the Swine

**Hi everyone. I hope you all had a joyous Holiday season! May this next year be much better than the last year!**

 **This chapter was a huge struggle to get through. I'd had a whole other chapter halfway written but then I ran into a writer's block. I took a couple of days to think things out and talked with my best friend fanfic rules and he's a fantastic sounding board.**

 **For this chapter, I decided to switch things up and give you a glimpse into the gothic world of Leif and Sapphire when they're aren't with the other Miscreants. In this chapter you'll find out some surprising news regarding our dark couple. It's been in the back of my head since the begging of this fic and I've been fighting against this idea, but as usual, after a talk with my personal sounding board, the idea began to make more and more sense and I realized that it also would help push the story line along.**

 **Now with my trip down the 'rabbit trail' out of the way, it's time to get on with the more important stuff.**

 **Disclaimer: Power Rangers are the property of Hasboro. Any characters recognize from the show are not mine. However all OC's are my intellectual property.** **I make no money on this work of fiction, it's created for the sole purpose of entertainment and to help me better my writing skills.**

 **This chapter comes with a warning for violence and foul language. You've been warned!**

 **I guess that's about it. Strap in and read on. I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Angel Grove** **High School**

Lilac, the newest initiate into the coven walked through the school halls on her way to meet with Queen Lydia. She was a petite young teenager just blossoming into womanhood. Her shiny black hair was pulled back into twin ponytails and her naturally pale face was made up in the most becoming goth makeup and her clothes added another layer to her well put together look. Basically, she was the poster child for Hot Topic and she was proud of it!

She was in a pretty good mood as she walked down the halls drinking her bottle of chocolate milk. She was just turning down the hallway by the auditorium when she heard a voice she didn't like. Her heart seized as she saw Brock Jameson standing with a familiar face; one that made her want to run the other way.

It was the man from the snapshot that was being passed around in the coven. She started to slowly back away when the football jock smiled at her. "This is one of those freaks that skulks around the school spying on people. I know she knows at least two of the goths that you're looking for."

Lilac swallowed hard and walked backwards as the man advanced on her. "Hey now, there's nothing to be afraid of, we're just going to talk for a moment. I'm a police officer, you wouldn't want me to have to arrest you for impeding an investigation, would you?"

Lilac found that she couldn't respond so she shook her head. As she took another step away from them, she backed into someone with a firm body. She looked up to see Rook standing behind her.

He gave her a reassuring look, wrapped an arm around her, and then looked up at the scary guys.

"I call bullshit; you are way out of your jurisdiction and if you _were_ going to interrogate my homegirl, you'd be doing so in the principal's office and with a parent or chaperone present."

When the cop opened his mouth to protest, Rook gave him a defiant look. "Don't fuck with me. My uncle is a lawyer and I know the law. If you really wanted to interrogate Miss Lilac, you'd being going through the right channels and would have contacted the AGPD and let them know about your bogus investigation."

As the donut muncher advanced on him, Rook gently pushed Lilac behind him and stood his ground.

"You'd better consider your next step, Donut Muncher. You're nothing but a predator and you've got no crew to back you up. We both know that your hoe and golf buddy are locked up."

Officer Michaels was standing toe to toe with Rook now and the tall miscreant wasn't backing down. "You better back off mother fucker. I don't run from the enemy."

In the next second, the cop lunged at him. When the knife didn't penetrate his skin, he cursed loudly. Rook smiled coldly at him and lifted up his tank top. "When we heard The Little Piggy was going to market, I started wearing my gear to school."

When the cop swore loudly again, Rook added. "We've got eyes everywhere, you're the one in danger now."

Quicker than Rook could move, the Donut Muncher lunged again, slashing the side of Rook's face with his knife.. Rook felt the flash of pain and backed away covering the left side of his face. That second was all the cop needed to shove Rook against the wall and make his escape.

Adrenaline was pulsing through his body, so even though he momentarily saw stars, Rook was able to recover after a minute. When his vision cleared, he saw Brock standing in the same spot as before looking shocked.

"What? Are you surprised that he would stab me? That pig you're helping is a psychotic predator and you had no problem giving that guy everything like a 2-dollar whore."

He didn't wait for Brock to say anything back but put an arm around Lilac and guided her to the safety of the school's parking lot.

 **~M~**

 **~Meanwhile~**

The _Moon Racer_ pulled into the parking lot.

After shutting the engine down, Leif leaned heavily into the headrest and blew out a soft breath. After another minute, he felt Sapphire's hand in his.

They'd just come from the doctor's office. It wasn't the first time they'd seen the female doctor, but the sonogram picture that he now carried in his wallet made everything more real.

Turning his head, he looked at his mate who gave him a worried look. "Hey, we got this. There is nothing we can't get through; even with a little night crawler on the way."

"You can't tell me you aren't worried; our crew doesn't even know about this. We need to tell them the news and soon."

Leif leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips. "One thing at a time, My Love. Let's just get through this school day first and before we know it, we'll be on the plane and meeting up with our friends."

"I'm sorry, Leif, there's just so much happening all at once." Sapphire said as she started tearing up again. "Dammit, these hormones are the worst."

Leif shook his head. "It's okay, I've got you." He pulled out the bandanna he kept in his back pocket and held it out to her. When she'd dried her tears and had calmed down, she looked at him.

"Ready for this?"

Leif nodded and adjusted his shirt. "Yeah. I'm ready to do this. Are you?"

Sapphire sniffled and then inhaled and exhaled. "Yep, just let me fix my makeup."

As she pulled out her makeup bag, Leif got out of the van and picked up both his and Sapphire's book bags. As he slung the straps over his shoulder, he saw Rook walking with Lilac towards them at a hurried pace.

The young goth was one of the recent additions to Queen Lydia's court. It was tradition, in their coven that the first act of the ruling couple was to pick a pair of young initiates, one girl and one boy, to be part of their court. For Lilac's case, it was known that she came from a violent situation; Queen Lydia had used the tradition as an excuse to add some sense of security to her and she'd taken to the new life like a duck to water. She'd even started smiling more than she did when she first started the year.

Until now it seemed…

As they got closer to the van, Leif noticed that Rook was bleeding, and he instantly knew something was wrong. He walked back to the van and pulled out the first aid kid.

"Dude, what happened to you?" he asked.

"The donut muncher is here. He and Brock cornered Lilac in the hall. I confronted him and he stabbed me, but got my vest instead, so he made another attempt and got my face. It hurts like a bitch and head hurts even worse. I think I hurt it too."

Leif paused and narrowed his eyes. "You said Brock... as in Elisa's Ex?"

"Yeah, I saw everything that day of the fight. His old man was the one that was mouthing off at the meeting- Spouting all that crap about 'natural selection'."

Leif sighed. "Not a surprise there, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. If the dad's an asshole than the son usually is too. He had to learn it from somewhere."

As Sapphire took his place fixing Rook up, Leif pulled out his cellphone and called the Manor. Rocky was the one that answered him.

"Leif? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"He's here."

"The Donut Muncher?"

"Yeah. Rook had a run in with him. He got knifed and has a possible concussion."

The line went quiet for a moment and then Rocky spoke again. "Ok, I need you to get Rook to the ER. We need to make sure that he gets checked out. I'll call his dad and we'll meet you there.

"Should we call Officer Tesla?"

"I'll handle that. Just get going."

"Ok. We'll head out."

When the call ended, Rook was still sitting there.

"So, what's the next step?"

"That was Rocky, he's telling us to get you to the ER."

"What about me?" Lilac asked nervously. "I don't want to run into that guy again."

Leif paused and then looked at his mate. "My Love, can you get him to the hospital? We need to go see the principle…he'll know what to do."

"Yeah, she'll be safer with you. I'll make sure he gets seen."

"Rocky said the cops and parents will meet you guys there."

When Sapphire nodded, he gave her a small smile and rested a hand on her stomach. Rook raised an eyebrow but then looked away at the intimate moment. After pressing a soft kiss to her forehead and then her lips, he handed her the keys and whispered something in her ear and then stepped back.

When the van drove away, he turned to Lilac. "Alright, let's get you to the office."

Lilac wanted to cry inside and she hated that she was shaking as bad as she was. All she knew was that she didn't want to go back into the school, not when that scary dude was still in there. She could feel her panic settling in.

As if he could hear her heart racing, Leif paused and looked down at her. Before her eyes, his kindly demeanor changed and his gothic lordly persona took over.

"Milady Lilac, I know you're scared, but you've got nothing to worry about. That bastard is most likely in there, but I'm Lord Cold Stone and a knight of the court. You've got noting to be afraid of since I'm here to protect you. Even if run into him, I'll take charge. He won't be able to touch you."

Lilac relaxed just a little bit and under his reassuring gaze, she felt herself drawing strength from him. Feeling calmer she drew herself up. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Good. Let's go."

As they walked into the school, heading for the principal's office, she kept in step with him and he kept an eye out for trouble. Just as he predicted, they saw the Donut Muncher chatting up one of the teachers; the charming grin he was using on her was sickening and he felt Lilac shudder next to him. He put an arm around her shoulder and guided her into the office.

The receptionist, Miss Claire looked up at him as they neared the counter. "Welcome back, Leif. How did your appointment go?"

Before he could answer. He heard a door open and heard the near quiet gasp of fear from Lilac. He peered at the reflective surface of one of the framed inspirational posters and saw that the pig had followed them into the office.

Thinking quickly, he looked at the older lady again. "The appointment was eye opening. I've never tried chocolate peppermint wedding cake before. My bride is all for it though I think fondant leaves much to be desired."

When the lady gave him an odd look, he took the sign in sheet and wrote a quick note.

 _Get Principle Matthews, we're in trouble._

The receptionist gave him a look of mild surprise but went along with it. "I didn't think the wedding was happening so soon. I'm not a fan of fondant either, if I were you, I'd go for the butter-cream icing instead."

"That's what the caterer said. We were able to try a few variations to see for ourselves and we decided to go with that icing instead."

The receptionist nodded and picked up the phone. "Principle Matthews. If you have a moment, I need to see you."

When she put down the phone, she stood up seeing Lilac looking paler than usual. Ms. Livingston, what are you doing here?"

Before Lilac could respond, the door to the principle's office opened and the retired marine stepped out. He took one look at the visitor and he pulled out his side arm.

"You must be one stupid son of a bitch to show up here."

He leveled the gun at the cop and cocked it. "Leave my school before I have you escorted out."

"You sure you want to threaten an officer? I'm only here for information on a fugitive."

"Yeah. And I'm the principle of this school and a marine. I know exactly what and who you are, and I've never been more sure that you're unwelcome here. I won't say it again; get the hell out of my school." When the cop didn't move, the principle took another step towards him. "Unlike you, I'm working with the local police and the chief has authorized me to use deadly force if necessary. Don't make me take that step."

The cop gave him a long look and then shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't think that'll be necessary, I've got all the information I needed anyway." As he backed up, he gave Leif a cocky grin. "Congratulations on the nuptials, I hope you and your bride will be very happy!" Then he walked out of the office and hopefully out of the school.

When the coast was clear, Principle Matthews gave them a long look. "Well, I can clearly see that you're not his bride. Lilac, did you have some part in this?"

"She was cornered by Brock and that pig. Rook saved her and got what will probably be a most rugged looking scar on his face for his trouble. Sapphire is taking him to the ER as we speak. I just needed to make sure that Lilac is safe. I'll let you decide how to act now that she's a witness."

The principle nodded and then looked at the receptionist. "Claire, would you please take Miss Lilac to the nurses office?"

When the two ladies were gone, the principle looked at Leif. Step into my office so we can discuss what's going on here."

"Hold on, there." Said a new voice. Leif turned back to see both Taylor and Jen walking in the door. Both women were dressed in their security gear and had guns strapped into their thigh holsters.

Principle Matthews turned to them and smiled. "Feel free to join us; there's a lot to discuss."

* * *

 **About an hour and a half later**

Taylor, Jen, and Leif sat in the car out in the parking lot.

"This is one hell of a plan and it's pretty risky." Taylor commented. "You sure you're up for all of this?"

"Brock is damned snitch; there's no telling how much he blabbed to the Donut Muncher. For all we know he told them about the manor and that Autumn and Kyle live there. It's better that the eye of Sauron is turned away from the manor and onto us. That way he's if he tries to crash the ceremony, you guys will be in the perfect position to take him down."

Jen gave him a long look and then the proverbial light went off in her head. "How long have you known?"

Leif didn't back away from the question. "Sapphire became suspicious the morning after of the cleansing ceremony. We've been active since the night were hand fasted, but the night of our rebirth, things got really intense. Sapphire's mom is a witch and believes that the evocation of the spirits also woke up the spirit of the baby. According to the lady doctor, the baby had to have been conceived soon after we were joined. This morning, Saph and I went to her appointment. We saw the baby for the first time today, it's the size of a peanut, but it's there.

Jen nodded. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"We've got this handled for the most part. Saph's mom is an herbalist and was able to come up with a natural remedy for the morning sickness and we're slowly coming up with a plan for housing." Leif paused and gave them both beseeching looks. "Besides the two of us and our immediate families, and the doctors, only you two know about our impending parenthood. We wanted to let the others know when we get to Portland, so please keep this on the downlow."

"And are you serious about the wedding?" Jen asked.

Leif nodded. "Absolutely. We've had the wedding license for two weeks now. Our parents gave their written consent and paid the fee. Sapphire wanted to get married before she started to show."

"So people won't assume this is a shotgun wedding." Taylor surmised.

Leif nodded. "I've loved her a thousand years and a day…I don't want anyone to assume we're getting married simply because she's carrying precious cargo. That's why I don't want anyone else to know about this. I don't want any bigger a target to be painted on her back than is needed."

"And you guys going on your honeymoon would be provide a means of escape without anyone questioning you."

"Exactly. So, can you help us?"

"Count on it." Jen said.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Hospital**

 **Pediatrics' Ward**

"Dude, what happened?" Leif said as he walked into the Rook's hospital room. "I thought you were just going to be evaluated?"

"It's nothing, Cold Stone. The doctors want to keep me for observation. My CAT scans checked out, but there's a pretty dark bruise on my back from when I hit the wall. Who'd have thought I bruise so easily? Anyway, I've got a minor concussion, so the docs want to keep me here over night for observation. If nothing happens between now and tomorrow, I can go home.

Leif sat down in the chair opposite his bride and exhaled softly.

"So, what happened after I left?" Rook asked.

Leif gave his mate a long look. "Well, I was hoping to discuss this in private, but the plans are put in motion already."

"What plan is that?"

"The Donut Muncher was snooping around for information and may possibly know where the manor is an that Katsume is living there. If he tries to attack the manor, the kids or dogs might get hurt. So I made mention of us getting married. Now the pig knows about it and hopefully will forget about the manor and go after us."

Many emotions flowed across Sapphire's face but then she bit her lip and nodded. "I don't like this, but i understand. There's been too much bloodshed at the manor already. If he was willing to hurt Katsume, there's no telling what else he would do if he found the place."

Lief softened his gaze as he regarded her. "I didn't expect the wedding to happen this soon, but it's the best alternative. We need to get out of the city without being questioned or detained. Being a married couple on our honeymoon, would help in that."

"And that nice after party we talked about?" Sapphire asked questioned. "I wanted the whole crew there for it!"

"We'll hold one once we're safely away. When we meet up with our friends, we'll have a small feast and do everything you had in mind."

Rook chose this moment to speak up. "So, do I get to be your best man?"

Leif looked up at him, having momentarily forgotten he was there. "Absolutely. I wouldn't pick anyone else…not even other members of the coven."

"And what were you thinking of for the location?" Conner asked from the corner of the room. He'd been sitting there quietly watching everyone, but now chose to speak up. Kira who sat on his lap smiled at them. "Are you going with a graveyard theme?"

Sapphire looked at them with raised brow. "A lot of people would assume that we'd head for the closest cemetery, But it's not my first choice. I'd planned on asking Kimberly for the use of her garden, but now it's too dangerous to hold it there. Not to mention that it's already being used for Melanie's wedding. We may have no choice."

Conner gave them an assessing look. "I may have another option."

Sapphire gave him a look full of hope. "What would that be?"

Conner looked at her and then at Kira. "I think its time to visit the convent. The holy sisters might be able to help us."

Leif gave them a look. "You know the nuns?"

Conner nodded. "Well, we did save them from thugs earlier this year. Maybe they can return the favor."

* * *

 **So, is everyone still here? I know it's a lot but this chapter pretty much wrote itself. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter in the review section below!**


	33. Miscreants on The Loose!

**Nope, you're not imagining this! You get another chapter sooner than usual!**

 **In all honesty, I already had this chapter half written, but had to hold off on it because the last chapter needed to be written first and I am thrilled to say that it worked out better this way!**

 **This chapter is pretty special to me, especially when it comes to otters. Many years ago, I went to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi for my birthday. My late brother was with me and I remember loving the otter enclosure the best. One of the last gifts he ever bought me was an otter plushie and it's something I still cherish to this day. So I got a little emotional writing that zoo bit, but it's all good. Brought back good memories too.**

 **Anyway, on with the rest of the AN**

 **No real warnings this chapter. It's pretty much just them having fun and being carefree teenagers!**

 ***The events of this chapter are happening in the same time frame of what's going on during the last chapter of 9 Months.* I'm really hoping this isnt getting confusing for everyone.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave me your thoughts in a review!**

 **See you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **The Girl's Suite**

Elisa sat in her wheelchair putting her socks and shoes on. On the floor, her trusty backpack sat open with her necessary stuff in it. At the same time, her friends were pretty much doing the same thing and the adults, Eric and Wes were loading their guns and adjusting the straps on their special shoulder holsters.

Wes, checked his strap and then put an extra clip of ammo in the pocket of his black cargo pants. When he was done, he walked over to Elisa and straddled the desk chair in front of her.

"You all set?"

Elisa nodded. "I think so."

Wes nodded and then gestured to the bag at her feet. "Your brother mentioned that you have a special medical card that you carry with you. Do you mind showing it to me?"

Elisa pulled out the card and handed it over. The medical card was laminated and the size of your average greeting card and contained all her important information.

"It's got all the information about my condition and has a list of all the medications I'm on. Bradley's listed as my ICE and it also has the name of the ship Hayden is serving on in case someone needs to get a hold of him. "He updates it every time he gets a new assignment."

Wes gave it a cursory look and then zeroed in on the bottom of the card _. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome._ He didn't need to ask her about it since Hayden had told him about what happened and how sensitive she was about the whole thing.

This was to be a day of fun, and she didn't need anyone bringing up painful memories.

"You've got an awesome big brother. He also told me to make sure you keep your Military ID close to you along with your insurance card."

Elisa nodded. "He's the best. When our parents died, he chased away the vultures and our lives are better without the b…idiots sniffing around."

Wes grinned. Hayden had pretty much used the same terminology when he'd discussed the vapid women that were trying to make off with their parents' expensive possessions. But he'd freely applied the more accurate monikers to them.

"Well, I hope you're ready for all the fun we're going to have today. We're just about ready to head out!"

* * *

 **On board the train to the zoo**

Kyle and Autumn stood up on one side of the train as it traveled on the track. Across from them, Katsume and Elisa sat across from each other completely in their own world. They were watching something on his phone and talking softly together and every minute or so, she'd stroke the top of his hand and he'd look up at her and smile.

Eric and Wes stood close to the both of them in a casual stance with their heads on a swivel. They'd both donned their Silver Guardian's gear and though they kept their jackets on, their fitted basic black T-shirts were visible and the ladies noticed. Autumn was pretty sure the woman with the Victoria's Secret bag was ready to swoon.

Kyle shook his head and then looked back at the love birds. Elisa said something to Katsume and he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead and at the same moment, someone to their left snorted.

Kyle rolled his eyes. _Were these idiots everywhere?_

"Hey, watch the PDA!" said a nosy woman with a yoga outfit on.

Autumn looked a the woman and then looked at her mate. "Well, if she insists…"

When she trailed off, Kyle caught her mischievous vibes and grinned as she pulled on his belt loops and he pushed forward, cupped the side of her face and pulled her closer for what promised to be a heated kiss.

When the woman cleared her throat even louder, Autumn broke off the moment and then looked at her. "But I thought you _wanted_ to watch the PDA…I just figured that you must be a voyeur to ask so directly!"

When the woman rolled her eyes and walked away, Kyle broke into a laugh and pulled his mate in for a real kiss. "You're such a naughty girl."

"And you like it." She retorted. "I mean you haven't complained yet."

Kyle shook his head. "Nope, not a single complaint."

Eric snorted. "Alright you two, better cool off before any real PDA happens. The next stop is ours."

* * *

 **Back at the Hotel**

Trent had no idea what to think, he'd not expected for _her_ to show up. He was so thankful for Kimberly; she took charge of the situation, which made it easier for him to think and yes, appreciate everything about the beautiful woman.

"Who are you really, Ms. Anderson?" Kimberly asked in a dangerous tone. "I don't believe that you're just some school counselor that magically knew how to find us."

Gabrielle sat calmly in her chair and looked her interrogator straight in the eye. "I really am a counselor, licensed by the state of California. About a year ago, I was hired by the FBI as an asset, not an agent. I was already a trained martial artist so all that was needed was for me to take a class or two in firearms and I got my permit to carry a gun."

"Honestly, this whole thing has been building ever since the TSA was taken down and my bosses realized how deep the roots went. Even though the school said that all of the teachers were given background checks and the corrupt teachers weeded out, the FBI wanted to be sure. That's why they assigned this to me. I was the only one with the right degree and certification for the job."

"You still haven't told us how you found us." Kimberly demanded.

"The FBI knows a lot about you told me the basics, but they also told me that ever since the big showdown with that McKnight guy, they don't want to try and take you guys on again. They keep tabs, but that's as far as they go."

Gabrielle gave Trent an apologetic look before she continued. "Trent used his VIP status to get those first class seats. The moment you guys left the ground I was called into the office and given 6 hours to get my special needs son to his dad's house, get back to the house, pack my suitcase and then get to the airport in time to catch my plane."

"And what about this hotel?" Kimberly continued to grill her. "How did you know that?"

"Mr. Mercer paid for this hotel, my boss did the search and then handed me the case file. I have the only copy. It'll be destroyed as soon as I get the chance."

She looked at Kimberly who was quietly mulling it all over.

"…Or I could just give you the file and let you be the one to do with it as you want."

Kimberly looked at Tommy and he subtly nodded at her. Looking back at Gabriella, she added. "Do you know about our high school hobbies?"

"Yeah, I know you were the Power Rangers."

Kimberly leaned on the table. "My powers evolved after Ivan Ooze was destroyed and I became the Pink Death Warrior and my name is _feared._ I'm going to ask one last question and if you're lying to me than you'll find out why."

Gabrielle felt her heart racing. This woman in front of her was very powerful and she was suddenly extremely nervous.

Kimberly didn't pause. "Why are you here now? I want the truth."

"I came out here to be sure that Mr. Shin is okay. I've seen what's on the MySpace profile and I've seen the video evidence of what happened at the market. It scared me and then you all up and disappear; I don't want to see another innocent die due to negligence. I don't know what else I can do to prove to you that I'm on your side…I'm really here to help you guys out."

Kimberly gave her a long look and then sighed softly. Ok, I believe you. But you must know that until Katsume is safe and the predator hunting him is caught, we don't trust anyone out outside of this group. I hope you're prepared to stay with us until Katsume is safe again. I can't risk anyone finding out where we're hiding."

"Hey, I have an untraceable expense account that only my boss can see. I'm good and my son's father can take care of him long term and he's got the same kind of equipment necessary for Quin's care. He'll be fine."

That made Kimberly pause. "Equipment? As in Medical Equipment?"

Trent shook his head. "It's sensory equipment. Her son has Autism."

Gabrielle looked up at him in surprise. "You remembered?"

Trent nodded. "I didn't forget anything…" He trailed off and then shut his mouth and looked at his feet.

Kimberly looked between them and saw the look of surprise that Gabriella gave Trent when he wasn't looking.

 _How interesting…_

* * *

 **The Portland Zoo**

 **About two hours later**

Everyone was in a good mood. Because school was in session, there weren't many kids running around which made for a pleasant atmosphere. The teens and their chaperones had already been to the African habitats and had a blast watching the new lion clubs playing with the lionesses. The elephants were busy spraying each other with water and it seemed everyone including the animals were in a playful mood.

Now, they stood in front of the otter habitat as the zoo employee gave a talk about the nature of the furry creatures that were chasing each other around their very large enclosure. Just watching them, she couldn't help but smile and she felt so bubbly watching their antics.

"We should get a picture with them." Katsume said softly. Elisa grinned at him and nodded. Once the keeper had finished her speech, Katsume pulled out his digital camera and handed it over to Kyle who motioned for them to get into frame.

As Kyle knelt down and lifted the camera so that it was at a perfect angle, he grinned as one of the otters began swimming back and forth as if trying to get into the picture. When he snapped the picture, the creature began to chirp at him, and he took one more picture of the otter for good measure. When he handed the camera back to Katsume, the otter squeaked louder as if demanding another picture.

Kyle laughed loudly and then walked up to the glass and snapped another picture. "There, are you happy now?"

"That's Tina and she's a huge diva; she loves to ham it up for the camera." The keeper said as she walked up to them. Her name tag read Jasmine and she had a friendly face. "Let's hope you got her good side."

Kyle chuckled and gave the camera back to Katsume who checked the little screen on the back of the screen. I think it's impossible not to. She's really cute!"

They spent a few more minutes talking to the zoo employee before walking off to the next exhibit. By the time they'd stopped for lunch, they'd managed to collect half of the collectible plastic mold animals. They all sat in the middle of the largest table in the area and the girls now sat next to each other as the boys went up to the food stand and put in the food orders.

After swiping their cards and getting their drinks they walked back to the table to see the girls both leaning over the phone. As they got nearer, they heard Leif's voice.

"Wait, here comes the guys. If you've got news, than they should be here for it."

"No need to wait, Ladies. We're here." Kyle said as he sat down beside his mate.

"Yeah, how's things in Angel Grove?" Autumn asked.

"Not great." Even through the phone, they could hear the stress in his voice.

"What happened?" Katsume asked softly.

"The Donut Muncher struck. He was snooping around the school and Rook found him. They got into a fight and Rook now has a big scar across his face and a possible concussion. He'll be fine, but they're keeping him overnight for observation. Just before we came home, I brought him a massive cheeseburger and home fries, he's happier not having to eat the hospital food."

Kyle grinned at the phone.

Katsume sat back in relief.

"There's more." Leif added though he seemed a bit hesitant.

"Don't keep us in suspense." Kyle responded.

They were a long pause. "Sapphire and I…we're getting married."

"You're joking."

"This isn't my joking voice. We've been planning to do so for a while now, we even had the required license. We planned to let you guys in on it, but things happened, and we never got to tell you."

"This is pretty sudden."

"It's sooner than I expected it to happen, but with that pig is snooping around, it's better that he comes after us than for the Manor to be attacked again. That brainless idiot, Brock was giving him all kinds of information. There's no telling what that Pig knows now."

"I wish we could be there for that," Autumn said. "Can you at least live stream it?"

"That's the plan. Leif answered. "Once the wedding is over, we're heading your way; the same night if possible. Us having our wedding certificate will get us out of dodge without the cops or any other nosy people questioning it."

"And how does Sapphire feel about all this?"

"She's not happy, but at least we don't have to go before the judge now. We can have a real ceremony. I think she'd be happier if we had a real reception once we get there. I'm hoping you guys can figure out a way to make it happen."

"Yeah, we can do a cake and a small feast. When will you guys be here?"

"As soon as we can politely leave the chapel. Believe me, we're ready to get out of the city."

Kyle sat back in his chair. He heard the workers call them up to get their orders, but he felt too overwhelmed to move. Thankfully, Wes and Eric handled things.

He blew out a breath and then sat forward. "We'll handle the party. Is there any other news out of left field to tell us?"

There was quiet on the phone.

"No, this isn't a secure line and we don't know how much that pig has tech wise. I dare not say anymore over the phone."

Kyle looked around at the other miscreants. "Whatever it is, we're here for you."

"That's awesome to hear, guys. But it's not life threatening, we'll be fine."

Wes leaned over the phone now. "If you guys contact our wives, we have the tech to secure a phone line. They can download the programs to keep the lines safe."

"I've seen the kind of tech you guys have. Connor showed me the new Miscreant gear today. I didn't know that holographic technology existed outside of the government. But Billy and Ethan found a way to integrate it into our communication cuffs. It's just like Star Wars!"

"That's awesome. I knew they were making a prototype, but I never got the chance to field test it! That's definitely on the list once all this drama is over."

"We already tried it today. Saph and I had a rescue mission to the convent, that's how Conner was able to secure the chapel for the wedding."

"What happened?" Katsume asked.

"A mama dog was found in their garden at the convent. She's definitely about to deliver a litter of puppies. She looked so swollen, that if she doesn't have then within the week, than there's something wrong with her. We gave them a bed and supplies to last the month, hopefully by the time we get back, we'll be able to give them more."

So, I guess that means when we come back, the Miscreant work begins again." Katsume said softly.

When you get back you'll be safe and then we can save the animals. And we have a litter of kittens and soon, puppies to find good homes for.

They were all quiet for a moment and then Kyle piped up again. "So, do you know what kind of cake you want?"

"Anything chocolate or marble."

* * *

 **The zoo's** **gift shop**

 **Two Hours later**

Elisa picked up the big fluffy panda panda blanket and hugged it. Katsume stood back watching. The reloadable credit card was all but burning a hole in his pocket.

"While we're here, we should pick something up for the kids. I know from personal experience that they'll be surrounding us and asking what we brought them. Not to mention that it'll be Christmas soon and they'll be expecting extra presents…from all of us. Especially you now that you're a member of the family."

"You start the shopping now?" katsume asked.

"Our mom's started back in July; Autumn and I help with the stocking stuffers. It helps take shopping pressure off our parents and the stuff here is way better than what you get at the toy store."

"Huh didn't know that. I've never been part of a family before. I don't even know where to start!"

"We'll just leave our ladies to browse and I'll show you what the kids enjoy. I've done this plenty of times."

It only took about ten minutes for the souvenirs to be picked out and then the guys went over to where the ladies browsed. Katsume smiled when we saw that she'd picked up the very fluffy looking blanket. Unbidden the image of the two of them curled up together with the blanket draped over them invaded his mind. He really wouldn't mind getting cozy with his girlfriend.

He unconsciously smiled. "Hey, Katsume, could you help me get that panda bear?"

Katsume was snapped out of his revelry and walked over to her and reached up to grab the plushie. As he did, his hoodie rode up again displaying his flat stomach for her to see.

Elisa wanted to reach out and touch, but she looked away instead. He was so finely toned; she'd have that image in her head for a while…stowed away for when she needed inspiration…

"This is the one you want?" Katsume asked as he handed her the extremely fluffy stuffed animal and she cuddled it close to her. "Yes, she's perfect!"

Then she's yours. Is there anything else you want to buy?"

"Just a t shirt. I'm saving most of my money for Sea World. I've always wanted a stuffed orca or dolphin…I haven't decided yet. This is good for now."

Katsume pressed a kiss to her hair and then helped her maneuver her chair to the checkout.

While they were checking out and picking up the last of the plastic mold animals to complete the collection, their minds were on the newest bit of news to hit their group. They wasted no time getting back to the train station and heading back.

* * *

Once the teens had put away their souvenirs and changed clothes, they were called into the adult's suite. Katsume was especially surprised to see his councilor sitting at the table with his dad.

She waved at him and then put her hands around her Starbucks cup. "Hi Katsume. Did you have fun today?"

"How did you find me?"

"It's alright son." Trent responded. "She's already been questioned and she's here for a legitimate reason."

"I was just worried for your safety since you guys just vanished into the night."

We've discussed a lot while you guys were out and have been brainstorming how to further your education once we return to Angel Grove."

Autumn sat down at the table and crossed her legs. "I thought we were going to be homeschooled for now."

Tommy nodded as he walked around with Maverick comfortably nestled against his chest. "That's the plan but now we have worked out a way to make it happen. A few of the teachers that I work with have been brainstorming about how to teach you guys without you actually being in the room."

"That sounds like a live video feed kind of thing." Kyle commented.

"Essentially, that is the idea." Miss Gabriella answered. "A few of the more dedicated teachers have even offered to come tutor you in person."

"At the manor?" Katsume asked nervously.

Kimberly gave him an odd look. "Are you okay?"

"Something has happened at school." Kyle answered. "I don't know if you've been updated since this morning."

All the adults looked at each other then Kimberly sat down at the table. "Debrief us."

When they did, they all gave the teens a shocked look.

"The manor might be compromised again. We don't know what Brock the Dumb Jock knows in regard to the Manor. But his dad is that same man that you had the showdown with at the school meeting. It's possible that whatever his dad knows, Brock knows; he was giving everything to the Donut Muncher like a cheap whore."

Tommy's eyes started to glow a slight green again and he pulled out his cellphone and walked into a corner of the room; no doubt to call the manor to see compare notes.

Meanwhile, Kyle was talking about the party he wanted to throw for the newlyweds once they arrived. I've never been to San Diego, but we were thinking you guys might now a place, both to get a cake for them and to throw a small wedding party for them."

This whole time, a storm of emotion had been stewing in Trent's heart and mind. He never wanted to leave a place so bad. From the moment he'd seen the woman of his fantasies walking towards him, he'd been looking for an excuse to leave. The only thing holding him back from leaving is that his son needed him. Now here was his chance to leave without looking like he was eager to be gone.

He schooled his features and spoke up. I may have a few ideas. "Give me an hour and I can be ready to drive down there. When his mentor gave him a look of scrutiny, he met it unflinchingly. "I'm the only one here that's not actually needed for anything other than my bank card. Gabriella can take my seat on the train and by the time you guys arrive, I'll have that party you want all set up and ready to go. Not to mention that if that pig is looking for me, then he'll think I'm in San Diego. It's the perfect misdirect."

Doctor O looked thoughtfully at him and then shrugged. "If that's what you want to do, then I'll go let the concierge know that you'll need a car. Any preference?"

Trent shrugged. Automatic, mid size and dependable. I'll need it for at least a week. While you do that, I'll go pack."

When he left, Kim looked at Gabriella who was giving his retreating form a look of confusion and also a little disappointment.

Tommy walked over to his wife and handed the baby over and whispered in her ear. Then he walked out.

When the door shut behind him, Kimberly smoothed the hair on her son's head and then looked at the teens. "So, what happened at the zoo. I want to know all about your adventures!"

* * *

 **So, what did you guys think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the reviews section!**


	34. Aftershocks

**Hey everyone! I hope all of you had a wonderful Valentines day, or at least that you made it through the day without too many tears.**

 **I want to once again, thank everyone for being so patient as I wrote this next chapter. This next chapter contains some sensitive subject matter that needed to be handled with care. That's why it took so long to get out.**

 **If it's not already obvious, this chapter comes with trigger warnings for mention of sexual abuse, child exploitation and a brief mention of a suicide attempt.**

 **That should about do it, so if you're ready, read on and I'll see you all at the bottom!**

* * *

 _ **(Excerpt from Chapter 10 of 'Nine Months)**_

 _ **Rocky's Restaurant**_

 _When they walked into the restaurant, the bachelor party was in full swing._

 _Leif who was munching on a thick juicy burger looked at him with concern. "Hey, is everything okay?"_

 _Connor grinned at him. "Yeah. It's all good."_

 _Rocky looked at him expectantly. "I was concerned when only Skull showed up with the groceries. Did you have any troubles?"_

 _Connor gave them all a smile. "The Donut Muncher is dead. Everything will be okay now."_

 _"Are you serious?" Leif asked in shock. Rook walked up beside him. "It's really over?"_

 _Connor nodded. "Yep, he died kneeling at my feet. You two can have the honor of calling Paladin and the others to let them know." He paused and looked over at Rocky. "In the meantime, I expended loads of energy kicking ass. I could use something to eat and drink."_

* * *

 **Portland Oregon**

 **Teens Hotel Room**

Wes set up the special screen on the coffee table as Eric called the other adults into the room.

Katsume sat back on the couch surrounded by his friends as the rest of the adults walked in. Elisa sat next to him with her legs under her and her head resting on his shoulder.

"I'm assuming there's a new development." Tommy asked.

Eric had already been told the news, so he couldn't help but smile. "The best kind."

Katsume didn't dare hope that is tormentor was gone, but he sat quietly, basking in the sweet moment his girlfriend was creating. He paid the screen half a mind when the series of tones signaled that the call was going through.

He smiled when he saw Leif on the screen and Connor in the background. He sat up a little straighter when he noticed how roughed up he looked.

Leif waved at him. "Hey guys!"

Katsume waved back. "You look really happy. What's the good news?"

Leif grinned at him. "The Donut Muncher is dead. He's not going to be bothering anyone anymore."

Kastume sat forward, not sure of what he'd heard. "Did I hear you right?"

Leif nodded, grinning widely. "Dead as a doornail. I bet he's gotten to the morgue by now. The point is that you'll never have to worry about him finding you now."

Katsume didn't know what to think. He sat forward and swallowed. "How'd he die?"

"Heart attack." Connor said as he walked up behind the gothic groom. "That's the official cause of death." He caught sight of my shaman form and died away at my feet."

Tommy narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Wait, your shaman form?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah, he was prowling the aisles of the grocery store. As it turns out, he has a thing for grabbing innocent girls and women. Fate granted me my wish and we were right in his path. We lured him out and had a car chase, and he shoved me into a ditch. My inner shaman was fighting to come out the moment I saw him in the store. I held him in as much as I could. But the moment I was in real danger, He appeared."

"He died from fear?" Katsume asked in disbelief.

David now walked up behind his son. "Bullies are rarely as tough as they seem. They act tough but when they're up against real danger, they falter. Not to mention that Connor was radiating a lot of mystical power. Even I could feel the effects of it; it's not a shock to me that the little piggy was literally scared to death."

"And your car?" Tommy asked.

That made Connor sober up a bit. "Wrecked. The Garcia brothers already towed it to their shop."

"That's a classic car." Kyle said from beside Katsume. "I'd thought you'd be more upset about your car getting wrecked."

Connor nodded. "She was a beautiful mustang, but she's worth sacrificing to make sure that no one has to deal with that donut muncher again. He was a dangerous predator and now he's rotting in hell."

He paused a moment and then his nodded. "On the bright side of things, I've been wanting to upgrade her for a while. This just gives me an excuse to do it!"

All this time, Katusme had been sitting back trying to process the news. The abrupt change in his fortune was really jarring to him. When everyone got quiet, he realized that Connor was looking at him.

"Sorry, Connor."

"Hey, it's not a problem. What're you thinking about?"

Katsume shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I've been looking over my shoulder for so long that now I don't know what to do now that there's no monster coming after me."

Connor crossed his arms over his chest. "I thought it would be obvious. You're free and you're on vacation. I'd take that pretty girlfriend of yours and the rest of my crew and go celebrate. You've got a few hours before the ceremony starts. That should be plenty of time to stuff your face and have some dessert to celebrate."

Leif piped up again. "Just don't celebrate too hard. When we all get there tomorrow, we're really going to party!"

Autumn cocked her head sideways, "I thought Rook wasn't going to be here till much later?"

Rook walked up behind them. "Dad and I are leaving tomorrow morning. We were going to make it a guy thing. Dad's a Sci-Fi enthusiast, so when Andros offered to take us up in his spaceship, dad, jumped at the chance. He was cool about it and said we could just take that father son road trip during summer vacation."

"All this just to get here faster?"

Rook shrugged again. "That and the medical bay on their ship can fix me up the rest of the way so that I won't have to avoid the rides at the park. She can even get rid of the bruises on my back. By the time we board the train, I'll be good as new!"

When the call ended, Kyle looked at Katsume. "So, where are we going to celebrate?"

Katsume grinned. "I'm up for anywhere that gives out endless fries and thick delicious burgers…oh and some milkshakes."

Eric spoke up. "I saw a place where they have all of that and it's a good step up from Burger King. You ladies can go get freshened up, and I'll get directions."

Autumn looked at Elisa, "Come on. If this is a special occasion, we should dress for it."

When the girls left, Kyle grinned at Katsume. "This is going to be spectacular, I love it when she dresses up. We should get out of our street clothes and into something a little more dressy."

Katsume looked at him in confusion. "For burgers?"

Kyle grinned and clapped him on the back. "One of the perks of having such beautiful girlfriends is being able to show them off. For a gourmet burger joint, we're going dress-casual. I'll help you figure out what to wear."

When they left the room, Kimberly looked over at Gabriella who was looking at them quizzically. "You're welcome to join us; we've got a lot to celebrate tonight."

"Are they always like this?"

Kim crossed her arms over her chest. "How do you mean?"

"Like he's in his twenties and in a committed relationship. I've never seen a 16-year-old act so mature. Are they married or something?"

Tommy could sense that this was a job for his wife. "Hey Beautiful, this is your wheelhouse. I'll just go grab Mav's diaper bag and get changed into something more appropriate."

Kimberly kissed cheek. "Thanks handsome."

* * *

 **Kyle and Autumn's Room**

" _Your mother was a whore…her blood is in you. You may as well earn your keep…"_ Katsume felt his stomach drop as the memory suddenly flooded him. He'd been in such a good mood just a few minutes before but now as the excitement and joy faded the ugly memories came forth.

Memories that he'd shoved into the back of his mind-ones that he'd locked up tight, burst out of their confines and rushed him.

 _No! Stay away. Not now!_

"You do know that you can sit on the bed?" Kyle said as he turned away from his suitcase. "Autumn and I didn't mess around last night and the sheets were changed this morning. It's clean."

Katsume shook as he suddenly felt lightheaded and nauseated.

 _He felt so hazy…and horny and in front of him was a naked girl…damn he wanted to be buried inside her. He licked his lips and crawled onto the bed…_

"Katsume? Dude, are you okay?" Kyle asked more urgently.

Katsume shook harder and felt his knees give out.

Kyle moved fast and caught his friend as he collapsed.

"Uncle Tommy. Help!"

Katsume's vision had gone dark and he felt like he was having a heart attack. Then he felt a cool hand on his forehead. He could hear someone giving orders, but he couldn't respond.

Then he saw a light in his mind's eye. When the lighted faded, he saw the outline of a mighty warrior that radiated power and had really cool looking bird wings stretching out to either side of him. He felt so safe looking into this warriors' eyes.

"Paladin, Come back to me. You're safe."

"She can't know! She can never know!" There were tears in Paladin's eyes as he stared straight into Tommy's eyes.

"Paladin, can you show me?"

Katsume didn't know what was happening, but the memories were on repeat and he knew that Tommy could see everything. He didn't want Tommy to see, but the memories came and couldn't stop them.

" _You tell anyone what happened, and I'll have you locked up in solitary confinement."_

One last memory played. That of him writing his full confession on the notebook paper and wrapping it around that big stick and then throwing it on the fire. When that last visual passed, Katsume fell forward into Tommy's arms.

Strong arms lifted him up and settled him on the bed. Then the tears really came.

"I'm sorry! I should have told someone! Don't tell Elisa!"

A cold cloth was held to his brow and he it felt amazing against his hot forehead.

He relished in the coolness as his vision cleared. When he could see better, he saw that Kyle had left the room and only Tommy and one of the men…Eric were in the room.

Eric knelt next to the bedside and held out a bottle of cold water. "Take slow sips."

Katsume obeyed. The cool water was sweet relief and he wanted to gulp everything down.

When he felt better, Eric sat on the other side of the bed. "That looked to me like a panic attack. Are you okay?"

Katsume couldn't look the other man in the eye. He only looked at Tommy. "I didn't want to do it! He made me do it!"

Tommy nodded. "I believe you. You have my oath. No one needs to know what happened, with the exception of Eric who was already in the room."

Katsume leaned against Tommy. "I watched Porn…I shouldn't have watched it! He wanted me to get horny! Then he watched me in the shower afterwards. I just know that bathroom was wired!"

Tommy narrowed his eyes and then looked at Eric who'd carefully schooled his features to look focused, despite his tense stance.

When he looked back at the young teenager, he sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's all over now, Paladin. That pig is dead, and he can't hurt you anymore. I saw that last image where you wrote your confession and burned it on the bonfire. That part of your past died that night.

Katsume looked over at Eric. "I know you have to tell the authorities…it's the law."

Eric nodded. "Yes, but if my suspicions are correct, then none of what happened was your fault."

When Katsume looked at him in disbelief, Eric knelt in front of him. "Everyone watches porn or looks at a skin mag eventually; it's all part of growing up. I'm also willing to bet that since no one gave you 'the talk', those images were pretty shocking, right?"

Katsume nodded feeling a little braver. "He wanted to make videos of me screwing that girl but I told him I wasn't interested. I think he taped me jerking off in the shower. He seemed pretty happy the next morning."

"And what about that girl?" Tommy prompted. "I doubt that you wanted to do it with her either."

Katsume shook his head vehemently. "I'd never seen her before, but she was pretty and looked a lot like those girls on the TV. It's not how I wanted my first time to go…I wanted to wait for the right girl. Like in those chick flicks. It somehow feels worse then when i found out that those two girls...raping me wasn't just some bad dream."

Tommy nodded. "Did you have any willpower to walk away?"

"I tried, but when she started playing around…I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to stop! The guilt was overwhelming the next morning. I felt so disgusting that i wanted to die...that's why 'i attempted suicide."

Tommy nodded. "One more question, did you smell anything weird before that?"

Katsume thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't know what it was. I thought it was some kind of high-end perfume."

Tommy looked at him and then at Eric. "I'd bet my morpher someone got a hold of that pheromone. If Shawn is still on earth, I bet he's still peddling his wares."

"What are you guys talking about?"

Tommy looked back at him. "During our senior year, we had a run in with an alien substance called Pheromonius Seductionis. It's an inhalant that renders the party goer without inhibitions. A lot of humanoids use it during orgies to help the participants really let loose.

If it was used on you, then you're not responsible for what happened; especially if that idiot overdosed you.

"How can you tell?"

"When Andros gets here tomorrow, he can take you up to that med bay of his for some tests. If there are any lingering after effects, he'll let us know."

By this time, Katsume was feeling marginally better now that his secret had been purged. Sure, he felt drained, but he knew that as soon as he got food, he'd feel better.

When Kyle came in the room, he had a concerned look on his face. "Bro, you okay now?"

Katsume nodded. "I think so."

"What's bugging you now?"

"I know he's dead now, but I feel like he got off easy. I know I shouldn't want revenge, but it's there."

He looked up at Kyle not sure what his friend would say. Kyle looked thoughtful. "Would you feel better if we burned an effigy?"

"An effigy?"

Kyle nodded. "I don't see why not. Once everything is settled, all of us Miscreants go out to the campground overnight. We'll roast hot dogs, and then burn his body…and then we'll sleep in the cabins."

"I like that plan. Let's do it after everything is over."

Kyle nodded. "Count on it; but for now, we need to get ready for our double date. In the words of Mr. Miyagi, "Never keep ladies waiting."

* * *

 **A few hours later**

"Hey guys, the live feed is up." Wes said as the teens gathered on the couch. Dinner had been amazing, and they were full and happy. The teenagers had enjoyed the endless fries and drinks and now they waited with easy smiles for the wedding to start.

When the link activated, Rook was the first person they saw. He was dressed in a dark tux with a light gray button up shirt underneath.

"Hey guys, nice of you to join us!" He greeted them with a beaming smile. "Did you guys enjoy dinner?"

Kyle grinned at him. "Yeah, who doesn't love unlimited fries? How did the bachelor party go?"

"It was pretty good, though I think we'll have an even better after party once we get to San Diego." He heard something in the background, and nodded before looking back at the camera. Hey, that was Leif. The ceremony is starting…and I have best man duties to do."

"See you guys later!" Kyle said as Rook walked away.

* * *

The chapel was beautiful in its simplicity. The fading rays of the sun illuminated the aging stained-glass windows creating an ethereal backdrop. It was as if the night had gifted this beautiful atmosphere to the couple who were madly in love.

Leif had a soft smile on his face as Sapphire walked down the isle on her father's arm. She looked like a dark fairy princess in her dress of white lace and black accents. The bodice accentuated her curves and glittering tiara adored her raven colored curls and on her hands were very white lacy kid gloves. She seemed to float down the isles as she drew closer to her groom.

Leif looked like a dashing gentleman in his black tuxedo and white silken shirt. His tie was black silk and tied in a very intricate knot. On his hands were a pair of new leather fingerless gloves with tiny metal studs. He had even applied the barest hint of guyliner around his eyes to add a gothic touch to his look.

By Goth standards, he was very sexy, and Sapphire took it all in as they joined hands in front of the minister.

He gave his opening remarks and welcomed everyone to this very intimate ceremony. He gave the opening remarks and asked them both to affirm that they were at the alter of their own volition.

When they both told him yes, he asked them to speak their vows.

 _Leif was the first to speak._

 _"In times of darkness, I'll be your light_

 _In times of weakness, I'll be your strength._

 _In times of sorrow, I'll be your comfort_

 _And in times of need, I'll provide relief._

Sapphire smiled at him and brushed away a tear.

When the minister nodded at her and asked her to repeat the vows. With a steady clear voice, she did so and then it was time for the rings.

Rook stepped up and handed over the simple gold ring and he placed it on her ring finger.

Then he spoke again:

" _With this ring, I bind myself to you and make us one in heart, body, and spirit for as long as we both shall live. From this moment on, I see no other woman and I swear to honor you above everyone else for the rest of my days."_

When he slid the ring on her finger, he bent down to kiss her hand and then waited as a woman that Kyle immediately recognized as the former queen Lilith, stepped forward and handed the ring to the bride.

Sapphire slid the ring onto his finger and then repeated the vows.

" _With this ring, I bind myself to you and make us one in heart, body, and spirit for as long as we both shall live. From this moment on, I see no other man and I swear to honor you above everyone else for the rest of my days."_

 _As she slid the ring on the rest of the way, she mouthed 'I love you.' to her Leif and he mouthed it back._

The minister acknowledged their vows and blessed their union and offered up a prayer to the saints before speaking the final words to seal the marriage up.

"By the power vested in me by the state of California, I pronounce you both man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

That kiss could have rivaled any romance movie. It lasted for only a minute, but nobody would ever doubt their love and many of the adults knew this was only a precursor to what their nighttime activities would be.

The priest offered one final blessing as they turned towards him.

"What has been joined here, let no one tear apart. Go forth! Be fruitful and multiply!"

Leif flashed a smile at Sapphire and kissed her once more.

Hand in hand, they walked down the simple white aisle runner and out the door.

It would take a few minutes for the well wishers to make it through the line, so those watching the video feed took a few minutes to grab drinks and some snacks.

"Katsume, you seemed pretty quiet during dinner, I would think you'd be the one doing the most celebrating." Elisa asked him looking concerned.

Katsume smiled down at her and kissed her sweetly. "I can promise that I'm celebrating more than you'd think. All I want at this moment is to be with you and my friends. I'm ready to but the ugly past behind me and look at the amazing girl in front of me.

That earned him a sweeter kiss from Elisa and he enjoyed the few moments before the moment ended.

Finally, the happy couple were standing in front of the camera.

"That was beautiful, guys!" Autumn said with a grin. "I don't know how I'll ever top that!"

"You can start by having all of us with you and with all that time to plan, it'll be epic. If not then I'll be seriously disappointed!"

"In the meantime," Leif added. "We have a trip to get ready for. Tomorrow the real party begins!

Kyle grinned at him. "But first you have a plane to catch. I promise that we won't start the party without you!"

* * *

 **So, I hope you guys made it through the chapter! The wedding part was included to help lighten things up after the rough start of the chapter.**

 **Did you guys like the vows? Let me know what you thought of the chapter in the review section!**


	35. Miscreants Reunited

**Hi everyone. It's been too long since I posted a chapter and I want to thank everyone for being so patient. Settling into a new apartment has been very stressful, but thankfully its over for the time being. No real warnings for this chapter.**

 **I'm not one hundred percent in love with this chapter, but it works well enough. Right now, it's 10:30 PM and Im exhausted, but still wanted to get this chapter out. So if you see glaring errors, forgive me. I'm just really sleepy right now.**

 **Anyway, read on and I'll see you guys at the bottom.**

* * *

 _ **Excerpt from Miscreants Chapter 14:**_

 _ **On and on the ceremony went; Leif became known as Cold-stone and Sapphire became Nocturne. Out went his anger at the bullies that attacked him; with the final waft of the stick over her, she felt the last of her hesitation over this new direction of her life with Leif leave her and she felt so very positive and an equal to her lover. They would walk this new path together, no matter what was next for them!**_

* * *

 **The Newly Weds Room**

Leif sat up in bed and gazed lovingly at his new wife;he could hardly believe that they were married now. Up until last night, he'd always had to sneak through her window or have sex in the back seat of the van.

But now, he could lay next to her without having to sneak away. He could enjoy this moment with her as often as he wanted!

He just couldn't keep the smile off his face as she stirred from her sleep and opened her eyes and carefully sat up. "Good morning, my Lord Coldstone."

"Good Morning my Lady Wife."

She leaned up to kiss him and he met her halfway. He could never get enough of his bride!

When the kiss ended, he gently stroked her bump. "How are you feeling?"

"I really need to pee and I'm starving, but other than that, ecstatically happy and well loved."

He kissed her again for that. "Good. I'm sure that our friends will be planning to get some real breakfast, but while you do your morning routine, I'll get dressed and see if there is anything left over of the free breakfast; just to hold you over for now."

At the mention of the other Miscreants, Sapphire's grin faded. Leif understood immediately and gathered her up in his arms. "Hey, I don't think we have anything to worry about from our friends. That ceremony bound us together and made us a tribe, I think they'll be surprised, but ultimately accepting and even happy for us."

Sapphire nodded and sank into her husbands arms. "I'm sorry for overthinking things. I'm not sure if it's my own insecurity or hormones."

"Maybe it's a little of both." Leif answered her. "But we burned away our old selves and became something better the night of the rebirth and now we're a very happy married couple on the strangest honeymoon ever."

"And parents to be." Sapphire added as her stomach growled. She stroked her baby bump and Leif covered her hand with his. "Go use the bathroom and I'll see if there's anything left of the free breakfast."

* * *

 **The Lobby (a few minutes prior)**

Katsume was in good spirits as he walked into the seating area with Elisa beside him. Today was one of her stronger days and she walked beside him with the help of her crutches. The other Miscreants, mainly Kyle and Autumn were slower about getting up and ready for the day, so Katsume took the opportunity for some alone time with his girlfriend.

Well, alone as one could be in a half-filled breakfast area.

He'd take what he could get.

When she had loaded up her plate with eggs, sausages and toast, he walked away to get his waffles; lately, he'd really become addicted to the light and fluffy breakfast food. He hummed happily to himself as he prepared a couple waffles for himself and walked back to his table. Just as he sat down across from Elisa, he saw out of the corner of his eye, Rook walking up to the door with his rolling luggage behind him.

"I'll be right back." He said to Elisa before walking to the door to greet his fellow miscreant.

The two teens embraced each other in a manly hug. "Hey Rook, glad you made it!"

"Yep, now that I'm here the party can officially begin!"

Glad to hear you say that." Said another voice. Katsume groaned as he saw the punks from the mall surrounded them. This time, there were a few more of them.

"Who are these punks?" Rook asked curiously.

"These Cobra Kai wanna bees are the same idiots that started trouble with us at the mall. I walked in on the second half of the fight and Dr. O broke things up before it could escalate, but clearly these guys are obsessed with us." He paused and then looked at the ring leader. "Dude, you're looking for love in all the wrong places…I promise, none of us swing that way."

Tommy and Eric were just returning from a baby boutique store that had been recommended to them by the concierge for everyday baby needs. It was still a little early and he'd taken Maverick with him to get some fresh air. Eric had seen him leaving and asked to tag along. Tommy had welcomed his company and they'd spent some time just being dudes.

But now, as they approached the scene, Tommy stopped in his tracks and cursed softly under his breath. "You've got to be kidding me."

Eric frowned as one of the teens swung hard at Katsume and knocked the teen to the pavement.

Tommy shook his head. "Eric, keep an eye on Mav. I'm settling this, here and now."

Eric nodded and held on to the stroller. "Go get 'em, Mr. Miyagi."

Tommy rolled his eyes as he walked away. He'd fire back at that comment when the situation was over with. He got there just as Rook swept his leg under the bully's and knocked him back.

Just as the fight really started to escalate. Tommy stepped in. "That's enough!"

Katsume immediately stopped but Rook was already on the downed bully and Tommy had to pull Rook away from him.

"I said, that's enough!"

Immediately Leif was at his side and holding Rook back. Tommy kept his gaze focused on the bullies. "Paladin, you and Coldstone need to get Rookery out of here and up to the room and let my Mate know what's going on.

"No need." Said Kimberly as she strode outside and stood at her mate's side. "Are we really in a Karate Kid showdown. Couldn't they even be bothered to wear Skeleton Costumes for us?"

Tommy snorted. "It's so sad that todays' youth haven't watched the classics."

The bullies were completely off-guard as Kimberly turned to them. "So, what brings this Johnny Lawrence knock-off here? This isn't a knitting class, either drop a challenge or leave."

When the boys looked confused, Tommy shook his head and then his tone changed to a cold one. "If you came to challenge my students to a fight, save it for a legal competition. I don't allow them to fight in the street. You really wanna do battle, then have your Sensai contact me and we'll set it up, otherwise leave the premises."

Though Tommy really hoped the confrontation over and the bullies would walk away, the moment he saw the bully make his move, he was ready.

He saw the punch coming, and he easily caught the fist and forced him to his knees. When the bully looked up at him in shock, Tommy replied, "No matter how much Karate you know, there is always some one who knows more. Consider carefully before you try and punch me again."

When the boy hesitated, Tommy huffed. "I'm giving you an out. Leave now, and I'll forget this ever happened."

"Fine old man. Be glad I don't send you to the nursing home."

Tommy shook his head as the group walked away. When Kim slipped her hand into his, he smiled down at her. "Hey beautiful."

Masterfully handled, handsome."

Thanks, beautiful.

"I'm not a 50 something man from Okinawa." He added as Eric walked towards them with the stroller.

Eric grinned at him. "Never said you were, but you can't tell me you're not seeing a lot of parallels…all that's left is for one of you to go down to the dojo and throw down a challenge."

Kimberly shook her head. "A showdown with a rival dojo is the last things those teenagers need, they've already been through too much. If those idiots try again, they'll face the wrath of the crane, and they won't like that.

Tommy wrapped an arm around his mate. "Woe to them that challenge the Pink Death Warrior."

* * *

 **The honeymoon suite**

Leif walked into the room with a small breakfast on a paper plate and a glass of milk. Sapphire was standing mostly dressed in front of the full length mirror. She was wearing the one shirt, she'd been aching to wear. It was a black blouse with a skeleton's rib cage and a baby skeleton right over her baby bump.

When he closed the door, she turned to him. "I didn't think it would take that long to get a small breakfast. Is everything okay?"

"I'm sorry for taking so long, my lady." He apologized as he sat down the meager breakfast on the desk. "Apparently our teammates have been having issues with some punks from a local dojo. They decided to attack Katsume outside the hotel. Dr. Oliver was able to intervene, but not before one of them landed a good punch. You should get something in your stomach before we go meet the others in the big suite."

Sapphire smiled at him before stroking her bump again. "I guess it's time to tell everyone our news."

Leif walked up behind her and wrapped her up in his arms. "No matter what happens today, know that I'm excessively happy about everything going on with us right now. I have you as my wife and we have a baby on the way. Everything else, even being a Miscreant is secondary."

Sapphire took a cleansing breath. "Ok, let me chow down really quick and then we'll go face the music."

When she finished eating, they gathered everything needed and left the room. Hand in hand, they walked towards the elevator and head up to the Miscreant's suite. Sapphire did her best to remain calm, but she couldn't help feeling nervous, like she was walking down the walk of shame.

She couldn't wait for this meeting to be over.

When they approached the door to the suite, Sapphire inhaled deeply and squared her shoulders.

"Let's do this."

* * *

Tommy sat on the bed and checked Katsume over. Thankfully, there was no black eye forming, but he'd have a nice bruise for a week or two.

"I think a cold ice pack will do the trick." Eric walked up to them with a pack from his first aid kit. Once it was activated, he handed it over to Katsume and then sat down with the others.

Standing back up, he looked at Kyle and Autumn who were giving him concerned looks. Tommy was about to address them, when there was a knock at the door. Kimberly walked toward the door and opened it up, to see the last two Miscreants standing there.

Kimberly looked them over and zeroed in on the shirt. She grinned at them and hugged them both close. "Congratulations you two!"

When she stepped back and let them walk into the room, the others caught sight of the shirt.

Kyle raised a brow at them. "This is the big secret?"

Leif led Sapphire towards one of the chairs and then stood behind her. She looked up at him and then at the others. "Yes, I'm going to have a baby. We didn't want to say anything until I was safely in the second trimester. Just in case there was a miscarriage."

"The same day that Rook was attacked, we were just coming from the OBGYN. The baby is growing nicely and right on schedule. Saph is just over 19 weeks along." Leif couldn't keep the smile off his face as he opened his wallet and took the sonogram out and held it out to Kyle.

They were all quiet as the sonogram was passed around. Kyle gave them both a long look and then grinned. "With all the women at the manor having baby, I should have noticed that you were carrying too."

When Sapphire exhaled softly, Autumn gave her a concerned look. "Did you really think we'd reject you for being pregnant?" When Sapphire looked at her unable to respond, Autumn added. "You can relax now, I'm really happy for you both! I get to be aunt!"

When Sapphire starting tearing up. Rook added. "I kind of figured out what was going on with you guys in the parking lot." When the couple looked at him in surprise, he added. "I used to be my uncle's snitch; I was taught to notice details. When you sent Sapphire to the hospital with me, you were touching her stomach, that's when I noticed that it wasn't flat anymore."

Sapphire couldn't believe that everyone was being so nice to her about it. When she looked at Katsume, he grinned at her behind his ice pack. "That goes for me too. I know you guys will be amazing parents. Congratulations!"

When everyone had congratulated them and the excitement had died down, Tommy brought them all back to the present. "As happy as I am to let everyone continue celebrating, we need to address a couple of things."

That got everyone's attention. "Today didn't start as smoothly as I was hoping for. I doubt there will be a problem when we go out to breakfast today, as we're going to be taking the van, but should those morons from the Final Strike Dojo start trouble with us today, you're not to engage with them unless they're trying to kill you."

"How did they even find us anyway?" Elisa asked. "We didn't give any indication where we were staying."

Tommy shook his head. "We have no idea, I don't know why they were stalking us and before we came here, I only knew of the studios reputation; they fight without honor and their techniques are brutal. That's why I don't want you tangling with any of them."

I know we came to the party late, but how exactly did you guys end up in the mix with them."

Kyle huffed loudly and Autumn leaned into him. "He hit on me when we were at the mall and then he insulted Elisa for being disabled."

Rook stiffened and Kyle waved him away. "That was the end of the drama; honor was defended and the douche bag left with his tail between his legs."

I guess the drama isn't over with." Katsume added softly. "I was really hoping the drama would end with the Pig being dead."

Rook gave them all a relaxed look. "Hey, we're all together again, there's nothing the Miscreants can't handle."

* * *

Throughout breakfast, the Miscreants caught each other up on their adventures.

"Elisa has been holding back on us. Kyle said with a grin. You should have seen her with that little girl. There's something just magic about her."

Don't leave Katsume out of this, Autumn added. Those two worked together seamlessly. That little girl was completely calm by the time the detective lady stepped in to bring her back to the police headquarters."

Elisa ducked her head and Katusme hugged her close. "She's a total badass!"

Just, then a waitress that looked like a minor walked up to them nervously. "Excuse me, I was asked to give you this message by some people outside. They looked kind of mean."

Tommy thanked the waitress with a kind smile and then flipped over the envelope and raised a brow. "Wow, they're really not going to give up."

When he opened up the missive and read it softly to himself, he snorted. "Well damn, now it all makes sense."

When he passed it onto Kimberly, she read it and rolled her eyes. "Great, so much for hoping that idiot would stay gone."

"Care to share with the class?" Eric said from his end of the table.

"Not with the Teenagers around. This just became personal."

When the Miscreants gave him questioning looks, he leveled them all with a deadly calm look that none of them could ignore.

"Just like I said earlier, you guys are forbidden to engage with those guys from Final Strike. Their teacher doesn't have a shred of integrity and I'm sure that he hasn't taught his students any better. If you battle those guys, they'll fight dirty and if they lose, they won't hesitate to play the victim card."

"What should we do?" Asked Kyle. We just escaped one bully and now we've got another sniffing our tails."

Tommy shook his head. "We're going to finish breakfast and then when we get back to the hotel, you guys are going to go ahead with whatever plans you had for today while Kim and I go to that dojo and settle things.

Then he leveled the Miscreants again but this time there was a faint green glow to his pupils. "Before you guys start worrying about my safety, know that I've tangled with this guy before and he's not much of a match. That's why he sent his students to bother you guys instead coming down himself."

Kyle could only nod. "Okay, we'll let you handle it."

Tommy nodded. "Just in case you try and pull anything, remember that you've got vulnerable crew members with you to think of. While we're settling things at the dojo, we're leaving Maverick in your care. It'll be good practice for you guys."

Kyle nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good, now lets get back to eating and enjoying ourselves.

That's how it went for a few minutes until Elisa announced that she needed to use the women's restroom. Kimberly immediately got up and accompanied her to the bathrooms.

While she was gone, Kyle got his crew's attention. "Now that it's just us, I want to ask you guys how you feel about making Elisa a Miscreant like us. I think she's proven herself."

Katsume nodded. "I've wanted to ask that myself, but I didn't want you guys to think it was simply because she's my girlfriend."

Autumn smiled at her friend. "I'm okay with that, she's a total badass. If she wants this, then I'm good with it."

Kyle looked at Leif and Autumn and then at Rook. "Everyone gets a vote."

Leif grinned and then nuzzled his wife. "Well, we're already expanding the crew. I'm all for it."

Autumn grinned at her best friend. "Speaking of expanding, do you guys know what you're having?"

Sapphire rubbed her belly and smiled down at it. "Yeah, our baby wasn't being cooperative, and we'd just about given up, when she just enough for us to get a good look."

Leif grinned. "We've got a pretty stubborn daughter on the way."

Tommy grinned and this his grin faded, and he sat up suddenly and looked toward the bathroom. This whole time he was holding his son and Mav started to whimper. He looked towards Taylor and she immediately got up and walked away.

Only a couple minutes passed before a small commotion was heard. When Tommy looked around he saw a shaken Elisa hobbling towards them with Kimberly, Taylor, and most surprising, a familiar face that he'd never thought they'd see again.

Standing to his feet, he acknowledged her presence. "Detective Noela. I didn't think we'd see you again."

The lady cop shrugged. "This is my favorite breakfast spot when I'm not on duty. I love their chicken and waffles. Not all of us eat donuts."

When he sat down again, he introduced the rest of his crew, Cold Stone, Noctourne and Rookery. This is Detective Noela, she was the cop who was at the mall when Olyanus and Paladin rescued that little girl."

Elisa looked up at her and waved. "How is Alyssa?

Much better now that she's home with her father. She's going to need some therapy after what happened, but she's clinging tight to that bear you got her. She says the magic spell you put on the bear is working really well."

Katsume grinned and squeezed his girlfriend's hand and she leaned into him as Tommy spoke up, looking at his wife. "Kim, what happened back there?"

Kim's smile faded. "Oh, one of the punks from "Final Strike Dojo were waiting to haze us. Thankfully, Portland's finest was able to help us."

The officer nodded. "Which brings me to another question. Are you guys going to press charges for assault or let this go? Also, should I expect more trouble from anyone?"

Tommy carded his son's hair. "Hopefully not. We were only here for a week to get these teenagers away from a stressful situation. We're getting on a train to head back to California tomorrow morning. As for pressing charges, my wife and I are going to make a trip over to the dojo and settle things. I've already talked to these guys and banned them from any fighting outside of competition. We've had enough trouble to last us a long time, we don't want to anything more than to enjoy the rest of our vacation."

* * *

 **Portland Japanese Tea Garden**

 **A few hours later**

Lief and Sapphire sat on the grass posing for the camera. With a quick shopping trip to the local craft store, a few things had been purchased and suddenly what they had thought would be a relaxing walk turned into photo shoot. Not that anyone was complaining. Even Rookery who was the odd man out didn't seem to mind.

Everyone was there, save for Tommy and Kimberly who were taking some time for themselves and yes, taking care of business at that rival dojo.

All of them had taken time to pose, whether separate or together and now, it was their turn.

Sapphire sat between her husbands legs with her back to him with her shirt lifted up just enough to expose the baby bump. Their ring fingers rested together on each side of her protruding belly button.

It was a lovely sight and more than one person walked past them and offered their congratulations. The parents to be grinned widely and were laughing together. Many shots were taken, and they would be sent to Angel Grove via email to be printed and framed.

Finally, with the final couples picture taken, all the Miscreants sat in a circle on the grass.

"I have no idea how I was made the leader, but we want to offer you the chance to join us and become an official Miscreant with all the rights and privileges…though we don't really know what the privileges are yet."

Elisa looked surprised. "You really want me to join your crew?"

"Well, it's more like a tribe. We all went through the spiritual cleansing ceremony together and it was solemn, but we all felt a renewed afterwards and we were somehow bound together afterwards. If you want to become one of us, then we'd welcome you."

Elisa beamed happily! "Yes! I'll join you!"

* * *

 **This is one of those time when a chapter writes itself. If you're seeing all those parallels between this story and Karate Kid, you're not imagining things. It wasn't planned, but just like Sapphire being pregnant, it happened no matter how much I tried to avoid it. So now, all I can do is just go with it.**

 **Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!**

 **See you all next chapter!**


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